Prussia led his way into the silent Hall with Germany and Austria behind him. Hungary had requested to be present, but Austria objected, and Prussia spoke up for him. "We'll be conversing in German. You won't be able to understand." It wasn't a good enough reason, but sometime in time, Hungary had lost some of her fight. Austria had shot Prussia a grateful glance, and Prussia added in German, "This is a favor."
France sent the human servants away with a wave of his hand. They closed the double doors on the conference as Prussia, Germany and Austria took their seats beside their bosses.
The conference began.
The humans exchanged strained formalities in French, a nod to their host country, while the nations remained silent. They were far too familiar with each other, and to learn another nation's language was either an admission to being conquered by the other or a taunt. Neither could be afforded in a moment like this.
"We are here to seal the fates of the nations that have lost in this Great War," France began in Latin. "Now, we will present the nations with predetermined conclusions."
Germany immediately turned to Prussia for a translation, but Prussia ignored him. "Predetermined?" Prussia challenged. "No room for negotiation?"
"No," Britain answered flatly. His Latin was heavily accented, and he sighed internally as he noticed both Prussia and Italy wince at his pronunciation. He glared at Prussia. "What do you expect? You started the Great War."
"Even France wasn't given this at Vienna. That was more… destructive to the order," Austria argued.
"That was not," France shut Austria down. "This war has changed everything. At Vienna, we hoped to maintain order. Here, we have to make sure we end war once and for all."
"With this treaty, we will never let you war again," Britain added, his eyes never leaving Prussia.
"Hey, I'm not always the perpetrator," Prussia cautioned. "He nearly killed me." He pointed at France.
France snorted. "Do you think you really would have died if the Kingdom of Prussia ended? But I have nothing but France. You would have ended me."
Prussia had nothing to say to defend himself, and he saw his boss look at him accusingly. Kaiser Wilhelm II never really liked him, despite also being his King. Everyone was too attracted by the title of 'Emperor'. He shot his boss a dirty look back across his brother. "I'm sure you're suspecting that I have another little pet country somewhere," he murmured quietly in German.
"Of course. How can I not after hearing France?" Wilhelm II whispered back.
"France also knows that it's not possible for one country to represent another. Just like you humans can't be two people at once, we can't represent two countries."
"Let us see the treaty," Austria announced, trying to sound aloof, but failing to keep the weariness out of his voice. He had been alive for a long time too, but he could say for certain that no war ever exhausted him like this one did. The new wars were always more tiring, but neither the Napoleonic Wars nor the Seven Weeks War drained him like this.
France slid two copies over, keeping the original by his hand.
Prussia caught it and tried to tilt away from Germany, but his arm was caught by Germany. "Let me read it," Germany ordered.
Prussia relented and placed it between the two of them. Germany released his grip on Prussia.
As they moved down the treaty penned in France's looping handwriting in the language of the nations, Germany started shaking in fury while Prussia remained surprisingly calm.
"This… this reparations! It's ridiculous!" Germany said in the language of the nations.
France shrugged elegantly. "This is a fair price for the damage you brought to me."
"Then leave us the Saar Coalfields," Germany tried to bargain.
"No. With coal, you'll have another bid at war," Britain said.
"We won't. I'll give my word; we won't."
"The your word is useless. I want your brother's word," France demanded.
Germany turned to Prussia, but Prussia avoided his eyes. "Brother," Germany pleaded.
"It's no use, Germany," Prussia said softly. "Try for something else. Even part of the Saar Coalfields. In this case, not even Austria's word will have weight, not to mention yours or mine. We've all broken promises. I can't trust France, and likewise, France won't trust me on something as flimsy as a word. Right, France?"
France's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Yes. You're absolutely correct, Prussia. I'm surprised Germany even brought up something so… human." His smile turned into a frown colored with distaste.
"The Saar Coalfields. If you won't give us everything, give us parts of it. Especially with that ridiculous price, we won't be able to do much with it," Germany reasoned.
"No," France said, almost petulantly. "We can't afford any chance."
"This isn't even a chance," Germany muttered.
"No. Which is the point."
"Is there… must I divorce Hungary?" Austria spoke.
"Yes," France voice held a happy lilt. "And the German Empire as well as the Kingdom of Prussia have to go. Do you have anything to say about that?"
Germany tried to argue vainly for himself, but Prussia stood up and left.
France watched him and a smile touched his lips. "Let us adjourn for refreshments," he said, cutting Germany off mid-sentence.
They moved into a neighboring ballroom, where Prussia already was. The countries spread out through the room and low murmurs in various languages were heard.
"What was that all about?" Wilhelm demanded. "What is it with you anyway, Prussia? Standing up and leaving like that? Don't you have anything to say for Germany?"
"Crazy reparations, Alsace-Lorraine, Saar coalfields for 25 years, demilitarization of Rhineland, limits on the army," Prussia relayed. "And the demolition of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia."
Kaiser Wilhelm's face turned several colors before settling to a livid purple. He seized Prussia's collar and pulled him in. Prussia stood slightly shorter than Wilhelm, and he turned his face away from Wilhelm. "What are you doing?! I can't understand a word of whatever you were saying, but you sure didn't say much! You really don't care about my Empire, do you? Because it doesn't concern you, you'll live on anyway?!"
"Your Empire?" Prussia repeated, turning back towards Wilhelm. "Ludwig is my brother. He is mine just as I am his. I will risk my life for him, but not for you. You humans come and go. You can be executed for all I care. But don't even suggest that I don't care for my brother." His left hand gripped Wilhelm's wrist, and Wilhelm had to release him.
"Say what you want, but the facts speak louder than your words," Wilhelm sneered.
"That's my line," Prussia returned. "Don't you think so, West?" His piercing red eyes were turned on Germany.
Germany stared back impassively, and something hard and flat cracked in Prussia's eyes, revealing the hurt beneath them.
"Time to sign the treaty," France chimed, flitting beside them.
They were ushered back into the Hall of Mirrors and signed the Treaty of Versailles, not given another word.
Prussia loitered in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles after the signing of the treaty. The day was warm and sunny, nothing like the last time he had been to Versailles.
When he felt another presence approaching, he looked up, expecting to see France or Germany, but he was joined by Russia.
Russia still had the small, innocent smile on his face as he watched his fallen rival to the west. "If only Versailles had sunflowers," he hummed. "But I think the Sun and warm is enough. I barely see the Sun in my house."
"I know that plenty well," Prussia said stiffly. "May I ask, what is your business with me?"
Russia blinked, taken aback by Prussia's formality. "I just wanted to talk."
"You didn't get much out of this either?" Prussia asked.
Russia looked down. "No," he admitted. "I want more."
"Well, at least Japan was mostly ignored," Prussia pointed out.
Fury flashed across Russia's face but faded just as quickly. He had never quite recovered from the sting of the loss to some backward Asian country. "You suffered at his hands too," Russia said sweetly.
In Tsingtao, China, Japanese troops attacked the German port. "True."
"You were very quiet today."
"Indeed I was."
"Why?"
"What would you have done in my position?" Prussia threw the question back in Russia's face.
"But your most brilliant representation and your… creation were destroyed. Don't you have a promise with that lover of yours to uphold?"
Prussia's eyes iced over. "He was just my king. My favorite one, but he was just my boss. It is true I made him a promise, but what can I do? I can't give more land without threatening my existence, and I have no right to give my brother's land. I've paid enough. My military's weak enough. I have no bargaining chips left."
"That seems to make sense. Then, until next time, War." Russia turned, but a strong hand gripped the back of his robes.
"This is nothing to joke about," Prussia said, voice low and firm. He was first called War in peacetime several centuries ago, when he was sitting with France. It was a reference to his history of turmoil beginning with the Crusades and the expansions he made through war. At that time, he was but a northern barbarian. It was fine to call him anything they wanted, and the irony of that nickname made it taboo only after he rose to a power under Friedrich II.
Russia replied without turning, "It isn't, if it were anyone but you." He left, tugging his robes out of Prussia's slackened grip as Prussia realized just what he meant.
It was a joke. A cruel, cruel joke on Prussia.
Germany and Prussia first returned to Berlin, but Prussia left after muttering something about going back to Potsdam to recover.
A few weeks later, Germany found Prussia in Sanssouci. He'd always maintained his room in the Sanssouci carefully, but he'd stopped living there after moving to Berlin city.
Germany was flanked by the abdicated Kaiser Wilhelm, and Prussia frowned at the sight of Wilhelm.
"To what do I owe the honor?" Prussia asked, eyes trained on Wilhelm and sarcasm dripping off every syllable.
"I'm here to see you, Brother," Germany cut in. "And ask some questions."
Prussia gestured to the armchair in the corner of his room. "Then take a seat."
Germany didn't. "Why didn't you say anything at Versailles?"
The question was simple, but one Prussia couldn't answer.
"You promised that you would represent me," Germany continued his accusation. "But you stood by and said nothing."
"I needed you more than anything in the Hall of Mirrors, Prussia. You always say that I'm young and I can't handle things, so you go off and meddle in my affairs. But what did you do at Versailles? Nothing!" Germany's voice had risen to a shout sometime earlier, but Prussia had yet to utter a sound. "At the first stages, you made some sort of concession, didn't you? It was in a language I can't understand. Have you purposefully kept other languages from me because you wanted to negotiate without me understanding?"
"It was Latin," Wilhelm interjected. "I could barely understand, but yes, Prussia did make some sort of concession."
"It… wasn't a concession," Prussia corrected. "I tried my best."
"Your best? You tried your best while keeping your hands out of this. You didn't speak up because your lands weren't affected, right? You wouldn't be affected a bit because of the change in your country. You've gone through so many changes; I bet you could survive even if your country was demolished," Germany ranted. "But what about me? You don't really feel anything for me, do you? All those promises, everything, they were lies!"
Prussia's unhurt right hand struck Germany's face cleanly, with a sharp smack that resounded as the sound travelled out of the door and into the hallway. "Don't you dare say that about your brother," Prussia warned, lowering his hand. "How could you, Ludwig? How could you say those things?"
Germany drew his gun, and took two steps back to level it at Prussia. "You're not denying them," he realized. "You're not saying anything, again."
"What can I say?" Prussia's lips morphed into a bitter smile, and his eyes were full of pain. "Ludwig, what can I say when you say these things to me? Ludwig I raised you."
Germany's hand did not tremble. "Are you trying to say that you will automatically have an attachment to me because you raised me? We are not human, Prussia. We take on human names, we live like humans. But I don't think you'll ever truly feel like a human."
"I don't believe you, and I don't trust you anymore, Prussia. You've betrayed me." With those words, Germany pulled the trigger and Prussia looked at the small puncture in his chest expressionlessly.
"Well done, Germany," Wilhelm said quietly, and swept out. Without another glance at Prussia, Germany followed him.
Prussia woke up a day or so later, mostly healed and starving. He unstuck himself from the floor where his blood had congealed and cast a rueful glance at the tiled floor. The huge bloodstain would be difficult to remove, but he would tackle it before anything, if only to block Germany's words from his mind temporarily.
The blood came out too quickly under his insistent scrubbing, and he had to face Germany's words.
Germany's words hurt. They hurt almost as much as the death of his favorite King, and once again, he could do nothing about them. He could confront Germany, but it would most probably hurt him more.
But when he took a step back and regarded the situation as a country, he realized he had to meet with Germany again. With his tirade, the relationship between Prussia and Germany came under question. Were they still allied, or did Germany intend to break with him?
Prussia took a day to collect himself before setting out for Berlin.
Prussia went to Germany at work, instead of waiting for him at what was once their shared home.
Germany looked up impassively as Prussia entered, but Prussia flinched internally at his cold eyes.
"Good evening, Germany," Prussia said formally. "I would like to confirm the relationship between our countries since the… ah… affair a few days ago."
Prussia sounded nothing like someone who just got shot by his brother he'd raised and was ready to give everything for, and he was proud of it.
"I do apologize for the incident; it was rather impulsive for me to commit such an act. We are still allied, of course," Germany answered mechanically as lessons from Prussia about always keeping his cool in diplomatic talks, formal or informal, kicked in.
Prussia nodded, and stood. "Then, if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave."
Germany reached out for Prussia's arm, but flinched as Prussia took a step back. "Germany," Prussia began, "make up your mind about me. Am I just another self-serving country that tried to exploit you, or am I the brother I've always promised I am?" Cracks began showing in Prussia's voice, and his eyes were filled with immeasurable disappointment and hurt.
Germany's gaze softened. He could tell that Prussia's emotions were genuine, but Versailles had hurt him badly too. "I don't know."
"I don't know," he repeated, dropping his hand.
He didn't know until the Second World War, when Prussia took on the giant to the east.
Prussia was initially frighteningly successful, giving rise to toasts to the mysterious guardian nation of the Third Reich in the Reichstag.
They met once more before the Allies. Gilbert was battered, but he never allowed the scathing smirk to drop from his lips.
Germany was equally battered but he did nothing to keep his weariness from the Allies. Britain regarded Prussia with more disgust than he did Germany, while France watched all with blue eyes clear and devoid of emotion. America was all over the place from excitement at rising to be able to accepted into the Europeans' circle. Russia had eyes only for Prussia, scouring his form and the almost imperceptible slump of his shoulders. The small smile never left his face.
America read out Law 46 on behalf of the Allied Control Council innocently, not knowing what the Europeans made him do.
"..Article V, this law becomes effective on the day of its signature."
After their representatives, the countries added their signatures, sealing the verdict.
Prussia screamed. It was a scream not completely from the physical pain of the sentence. It was filled with the pain of having one's existence stripped away.
With the soft scratching of the countries' pens on paper, part of Prussia, Prussia's political identity ceased to exist.
Later, Germany learned that Prussia had been slowly losing his people after the formation of the Second Reich, but in one instant, Prussia no longer existed in any form.
Germany lunged for his brother and cradled his body as his brother's body and mind were mutilated by unseen forces.
It took minutes for Prussia's screaming to die down to harsh pants and gasps. "That was quite the performance." Russia, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, clapped slowly, smile widening.
"Sadistic bastard," Prussia gasped, pushing himself out of his brother's embrace and standing unsteadily. "America, now you know what it's like to kill a nation. You've started the process; there's no going back. I want you to watch until the moment I disappear from this world. And then you'll finally feel full force of your folly." He turned and addressed all of the members of the Allied Control Council. "You too, England. You too, France. You too, Russia."
He swept out the room, leaving the entire council and his brother watching his thin, but proud back.
His words faded in with other memories as he pulled through dissolution, assimilation into the Soviet Union, and finally reunification into Bundesrepublik Deutschland. It seemed that nothing could destroy this personification that had lost everything. When he was back by Germany's side, laughing and joking, other nations forgot that he should not be alive.
But even Prussia, the roach of nations, could not deal with the one day every year where he lost his identity completely.
3rd October was a day of celebration for Germany, but a day of mourning for Prussia. Prussia simply ceased to exist on this day, every year. At first, it didn't affect him much. He only coughed up blood much like how Britain did on Fourth of July. Then, one year, Germany had gone out drinking with his brother, only to realize that his brother was missing when he made his way back home.
It took Prussia a week to reappear the first time.
Prussia played it down, dumbing it down to just a disappearing trick that he liked to pull on 3rd October. At Germany's vehement demands, he finally explained his existence to Germany.
"I am the representation of the Prussian Spirit now. Of course, I'm still the representation of the Teutonic Order - but if you call me by my human name there I will kill you, brother or no. Actually, it's something slightly more than Prussian Spirit, something slightly different that even I don't understand fully. But I am part of Germany. I am Germany's psyche, but sometimes that isn't enough."
"Don't worry, though," he added. "Nothing much will happen to you if I die, because that'll happen when I'm no longer recognized by our people. They'll recognize you instead."
"Maybe it's even better for you if I died."
"Why don't you care?" Germany asked in horror.
"Hmm? About what? I care a lot for you."
"Yourself. Don't you want to stay alive?"
"I don't feel as if I'm still living," Prussia replied blankly. "If countries could commit suicide, I would be completely gone now." He extended his left hand and regarded it curiously. "I don't know, I feel like I'm not like you anymore. I'm somewhere between here and where Germania is."
He retracted his hand, and continued, "Anyway, since I'm still hanging around, that just gives me time for more beer."
They left the matter at that, with the silent agreement to never bring it up again.
The time finally came for Ludwig to face the problem again, but alone. Prussia was finally gone, after nearly two centuries. Every last trace of his presence had faded away to Brandenburg, to himself, or even to the silent, Russian-speaking representation between Lithuania and Poland.
Germany took a breath of the air of his land, and felt complete.
Gruesome as Prussia's words had seemed, it appears that they were true. Germany no longer felt that he shared part of himself with someone else, for better or for worse.
There was of course nothing left to mark the passing of a nation, but a small handful of nations gathered anyway.
They didn't say much; Germany didn't need any words. He knew his brother would have appreciated their presence enough, anyway.
Gradually, the crowd dissipated. The American twins left first. No surprise; they did not have much of a past with Prussia anyway.
England and Japan left next. England was unwilling to admit in the first place that he actually wanted to come, and Japan stayed long enough to seem polite.
France and Spain had laughed and drunk as if they weren't marking the passing of a friend, but their expressions turned somber before long.
"I didn't think that he really one day, would die," France marvelled, still taking an elegant sip of his wine. "He was so strong."
"We were all strong, once," Spain reminded.
France snorted, and waved a hand in the air. Yet, he acceded, "True."
France now turned to Germany, whom he had been ignoring the whole time. "You know, I think your existence killed your brother. Or your brother killed yourself trying to do the best for you."
The words hung unpleasantly in the air, even though France had delivered them as an offhand remark. Everyone could tell that they meant more than just an offhand remark to him.
"I agree." A blond walked over, and got himself a glass. "Care to share?"
"Who are you?" France wrinkled his nose delicately.
The blond newcomer ignored him, and poured himself a glass of wine anyway. "I am Brandenburg. Also known as Prussia's ex."
"Brandenburg." France rolled the word around in his mouth. It spoke of a time past, when some countries weren't as strong and some were stronger. When some still lived, and some had not yet appeared. A time when France and Spain and Germany and Italy and Japan and England and America and many others didn't know Prussia.
Austria inclined his head at Brandenburg, and Hungary nodded in recognition. "Haven't seen you in many years," she said.
"I'm just a Bundesland. Not surprising." Brandenburg moved over to their region, but when Germany didn't move, he looked up.
"Germany, am I not welcome?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.
"I don't even understand why you are here," Germany said with some difficulty. "Do you feel anything now that he's gone?"
"I do. I feel more complete, like you certainly do."
Germany recoiled.
"Germany, face it. He died for you. He killed himself for you. Like how I let him nearly kill me for him," Brandenburg said. "I cared for him. A lot. More than anyone else still alive. Including you, Germany."
"You're angry, Brandenburg," Austria warned.
"I am. I am for a good reason. If I were in your place, I wouldn't have let him die. He kept me alive even when he and his rulers eradicated my place in their kingdom, and I would do the same for him. He did so much for you, but why couldn't you have given him at least this?"
Germany didn't reply, and Brandenburg floated out.
"That… wasn't very nice," Italy Romano commented.
"No, especially since you're the one saying that," Hungary said.
"He wasn't like this in the past." Austria furrowed his eyebrows.
"I think," Germany began slowly, "he really is hit hard by my brother's passing."
France sighed deeply. "That is not an excuse for his behavior. I would not be surprised if one of the younger ones acted like that, but he is old enough to understand that even we are not everlasting."
"We still expect ourselves to last for more time," Spain said. "Another century, another five centuries, another millennium. We think we can go on, but the truth is that even Rome only lasted for a thousand years. The greatest must fall from glory, and also from this world."
"He knew," Russia suddenly said. He had been quietly drinking all the time, and the rest simply ignored him. But now they all turned to him. "He knew," Russia repeated. "He knew that he was dying, when he left me. He told me that he had nothing left, and took some of my vodka with him. I told him that he could continue if he stayed with me. But he left me."
"He was never yours," Germany warned.
"If you insist. Many things were mine. Many things were yours once, too, Germany. Switzerland, parts of Italy, Austria, your brother dear. They all used to be yours, you know." Russia giggled. "Look where we are now. Imagine what we will become, years down the road. One day we'll all end up like him. Sooner if we don't care for ourselves, later if we do."
"You're drunk, Russia," France declared.
"Aren't we all? Drunkards floating along, tossed to and fro by the irresistible waves of something that rules over even us. Something intangible, but nevertheless there. Prussia was ejected by the current, and none of us wanted to risk ourselves trying to hold on to him," Russia answered. "Germany, I believe what Brandenburg said about himself, and about you. I wouldn't put it past you."
"We are countries, but we are not immortal."
Prussia had fallen from glory long ago, but hung on until every last trace of his existence had been eradicated by time or transferred to another.
What was it that had passed judgement over Prussia? What was it that overrode the will of the most powerful entities on the surface of Earth? What was it that decided who stayed, and who left?
Prussia had been thrown away.
And when until the United States of America, Russian Federation, People's Republic of China, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of France, too, were abandoned?
They were countries, but they were not immortal, nor were they supreme, nor were they anything they wanted to be before this inexplicable force that governed them all.
They were but mortal.
A/N:
1. This took me way too long to write. It was originally intended to be just about Versailles or just about history, but I ran out of time for Feb 25 and tried to turn it into a fanfic for that. Didn't finish in time for that, either.
2. I apologize for any historical inaccuracies. Not going to say I tried my best, because I know I could've done more. I just hope there aren't that many. The part about Law 46 is extremely accurate, however. I looked up a pdf of the original document (from LoC) just for this.
3. Slightly OOC; again, my most sincere apologies. But I guess I just remembered what these countries all did to one another, and the utter disgrace of the Free State of Prussia...
4. I hope you enjoyed the story, despite my poor writing and mistakes and all that crap.