Ah, So I'm back from visiting my family. On the last night up there, my cousin said to me, "Hey, so I dare you to write the saddest thing you possibly can." And I lit up and replied, "Oh you're fucking on." So I did. Well, I only had an hour to write this and it took me a day to go back and make sure everything was spelled correctly and had decent grammar... that it made sense and the ages matched perfectly. (Really, My big pet peeve is when ages aren't right or don't line up.)

So... my goal is to make you cry and die a little on the inside. Mwahahaha. If you wanna take the challange then open the following songs and play them in any order.

-You Raise Me Up

-If I Die Young

-Almost Lover

-Andare by Ludovico Einaudi*

*this is a pure instrumental piece is lyrics distract you

So, go.

Hetalia- Himaruya

A warm summer day, birds in the trees, flowers in bloom and sunlight glittering off the lakes. It was a fine summer day in Potsdam, Germany. That, though, was for most of the citizens in the area. However, in an ancient cemetery, another scene was beheld by a select few.

"And it is with heavy hearts and wet eyes that we meet here and bid a final fair well to the dearly departed," and old preacher man spoke, deep and serious. He was the only one of the party composed.

He continued, "It is here that we lay Mister Gilbert Beilschmit to rest, a loving brother, neighbor, friend, and a good man." He gave to signal and the black casket sunk lower and lower into the ground as the four hired men in suits let rope slide through their hands. As it touched the ground, all was silent and only a wind rustling through the trees filled the void. "Should any of you wish to speak, now would be the proper time."

Backing away, the man motioned for someone to come up. In his many years, there was at least one person who always did.

Ludwig was first. A black suit stretched over his large frame. His hair characteristically slicked back. Red framed the blue of his eyes. He hadn't slept more than an hour a night since Gilbert had passed two week previously.

"Brother," he had to breathe to keep from choking up, "My big brother. You… were always there for me." Falling to his knees, he leaned into the grave. "You taught me everything. You gave me everything when I had nothing," memories of the white haired man flicked through his brain.

He was five when their father passed away, his mother dying at his birth. They were alone in the world and Gilbert picked up the pieces. His brother, a mere child himself at only sixteen, worked to provide for him, and protected him, and made sure he did well even if it meant sacrificing his future.

It was his tenth birthday and all he'd wanted was a baseball, like the other boys his age. He wanted to throw it and play. He'd wanted a dog as well but he never said anything about it. He'd known that things were hard for them. On the morning of that special day, he'd awoken and found something that couldn't have made his little heart happier, a white ball and a small black puppy in a basket on the foot of his bed. At twenty-one, with no job and no education, Gilbert had sold himself for his little brother. Something he'd only found out much later.

At eighteen, his pup, Blackie, jumped up on him as he and Gilbert returned to their small apartment from his graduation. He'd made top honors and had been granted a full scholarship to the best University of Engineering in the country. Gilbert had patted him on the back and told him how proud he was of him. That he couldn't have been happier and that Mother and Father would have been proud, that they would have told him themselves but would have to wait until he joined them.

Tears fell into the earth, rolling down the polished wood and into the ground. "Goodbye… Brother. I will join you, one day. And on that day, I can finally thank you for everything that you've done."

Ludwig couldn't move. His arms locked and it didn't matter he physical strength. He was weak here. All along in the world now. Completely along and without family.

A small Italian man came up and touched his shoulder. "Ludwig," he spoke softly, pulling on him as he tried to hold his friend up, "come on."

The blond looked to his friend, his first friend: a usually bouncy brunette with a smile like sunshine. Those brown eyes looked at him softly, sympathetically, and he found comfort in them. "Thank you Feliciano," he said, using him his help support himself.

Standing there, Feliciano held his friend close and he thanked Gilbert silently. "Gilbert, thank you for Ludwig. Thank you for being there for him. Thank you for being family. I will take care of him for you." His promise would forever weigh in the forefront of his mind.

"Hey kid!" The strange voice matched its owner, a strange looking man. Feliciano's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes Sir?"

The pale man squatted and jerked a thumb at a sad looking blond kid, about his age, and spoke to him with a wide smile. "You know, you look about seven. My baby brother, Ludwig- the sad looking kid over there- could really use a friend. I noticed you were by yourself. You wouldn't mind playing with him would you?"

Looking at the child and back to the man, Feliciano, only six at the time, nodded and bounded off to who he would soon to discover to be his best friend, a lifelong friend. It was Gilbert who'd brought them together.

Wetness pricked at the corners of his eyes and Feliciano wiped them away quickly, walking himself and Ludwig back into the crowd of people.

A pair of men stepped up, a Frenchman and a Spaniard: Francis and Antonio. Best friends of Gilbert.

"Amigo," Antonio began, he had no words to continue. It was a shock to lose his friend so soon.

Francis stood next to his best friend and went on for him, "We are going to miss you friend."

"Yes, the trio won't be the same without you."

Francis laughed; their "Bad Friends Trio" never really would be the same. "We had your bachelor party all planned. You know that? It was going to be amazing."

Antonio smiled, "Sí, sí," he was never good with German, "We were going to go drinking and dancing, like every Friday night at those crazy clubs you like."

"And we got you both some cool things too. I guess you'll never get to open them. I'll still give them to Matthew for you." Francis' heart broke at that moment. Thinking of his own cousin, his best friend's fiancé, crying and barely able to function when he found out what had happened. He knew Matthew blamed himself for Gilbert's death. He thought about all the years the four of them: He, Gilbert, Antonio, and Antonio could have had together eating and making merry. So much for that.

Antonio patted his friend on the back and sniffed. "See you around Gil. Adios."

"Au revoir."

The two walked away. It would be strange to not burst through the front door and see their friend waiting for them on the couch. It would be strange going out and not having him with them, whistling at girls and not meaning it, out drinking them both, proclaiming his greatness and pulling them into schemes such as streaking through various neighborhoods covered in various foods like peanut butter, nutella, or jam and walking up the next morning and laughing about it. It would be different and strange for a long time, probably forever.

A couple, a woman and a man, arm around her waist came next. Elizabeta and Roderich, friends and brought together, like so many others, by Gilbert.

Elizabeta did her best to not cry, to not let her makeup run with her tears down her cheeks but it was impossible. They'd gone to school together until he dropped out but she still continued to see him. He was the one to prove to her she was a woman at the now laughable memory of how he depantsed himself in front of the entire fifth grade to prove that your "Thing-Majigger" (as they had called it) didn't grow in when you were and adult, something she'd believed because she wasn't taught any better in her all male family. He held her hand through her first period and was there as her "Maid of Honor" at her wedding to a musician he'd beat up three years prior in a drunken brawl over an ascot. She'd pulled them apart and they fell for each other that night. Even in the morning when their hangover wore off, they still loved one another.

Roderich pulled his wife into a hug, letting her hide her face in his neck and into the very ascot that had brought them together.

The two of them had never gotten along well. With different tastes in just about everything, they bickered back and forth whenever Gilbert came over to have lunch with Elizabeta. Despite that, they became close with a mutual respect and several times, they'd play music together- him on the piano and Gilbert on the flute. Elizabeta would always walk in and sing rock and roll; effectively ruining the moment. Gilbert, of course, would be more than happy to grab the closest lamp or broom and do his best air guitar.

Roderich dabbed his eyes, "We'll miss you Gilbert."

"Goodbye," Elizebeta mumbled into this collar.

There was nothing more to do and pulling away, Roderich held his wife and placed a hand on her stomach. Would it be too much to suggest that their first child's name be for the man? Jovan Gilbert Edelstein. It was now certainly a possibility.

His family was everything to him, Gilbert had giving him everything, his future.

Finally able to take to his feet, Matthew, in jeans and a frumpy shirt with a gaudy knitted hat on his head, shuffled forward with the help of his brother. It was all he could do to show up. The others could tell that he'd been hit just as hard as Ludwig, perhaps even more so in some ways. The happiness had been drained from him. There was no glowing smile or pink cheeky that they'd grown accustomed to seeing in the past five years.

Alfred, his twin, helped him with suddenly being alone and heartbroken. He'd been at his little brother's side since he'd gotten the news. He knew it would be hard for Mattie. Never had he seen his brother so in love, so involved, and so ready to spend the rest of his life with another person.

"Bear," Matthew whispered the nickname he'd given him after Gilbert had insisted that he be 'Birdie', "I thought you were going to marry me." The tears started again, "I thought you were supposed to love me forever. Isn't that what you promised me?" His voice was low, only Alfred could hear him now.

All the promises, the entire prospect of a future and family, it was gone. Promises and praises to God and to one another in the darkness between sheets, soft words shared on the couch as they cuddled to keep warm by the fire, cheerful smiles as they took turns making breakfast, even fighting that turned into a warm hug… It all went wrong.

"I'm sorry Gil, this is my fault." He blamed himself and would continue to do so for the rest of his life. If only he hadn't asked him to go to the store. If only he'd remembered to buy the coco mix. If only he'd never met Gilbert. If only he'd never let himself fall in love. If only he'd insisted that he take the car because it was too dark to walk to the store even if it was only three blocks down the street. If only he didn't insist that it was okay for them to hold hands in public or share quick kisses on the porch of their little home. If only he made him stay home. If only… if only.

It had been a hate crime the police determined from the profanities scrawled in ink on his cold skin, a knife to his heart letting the first flower of death's procession bloom. They said he didn't suffer long but Matthew knew otherwise.

He broke and sobbed grossly, "Gil…" Matthew's body gave out on him again and ha began to colaspe. Reaching out, he grabbed for his brother who pulled him into a tight bear hug. It didn't feel the same. It never would. The warmth and comfort and the way their bodies fit together… he'd never feel that again.

"Hey Mattie, it's going to be okay. Come and sit down."

Matthew nodded, letting Alfred take his hand and lead him back to his blanket on the grass. "I love you Gil… I said yes Gil… I miss you Gil…"

He mumbled these things to no one, only the wind as though he could be heard by a spirit. Surely it would pass in time but Alfred would make sure that he would be seeing a therapist.

Alfred gave the hole in the ground a final look. He remembered being nineteen and meeting Matthew's new boyfriend. He was skeptical about their ten year age difference but he soon got over it. He and Gilbert spoke often and hearing about Gilbert's few, but meaningful, years of service in the German army and about being in their reserve changed his life. Seeing Gilbert's love for his home, he grew an uncrushable love for his own. He became a fighter pilot. It was the greatest decision he'd ever made. His mentor was gone now and all that was left was to march on.

Every person at the small congregation had stepped forward much to the preacher man's surprise. He shouldn't have been, it was only a very few people that attended. Clearing his throat he began and the four men who'd previously lowered the deceased into his final resting place started on their task of refilling the grave with dirt.

The entire party cringed as soft earth hit wood. It forced the reality to solidify further in their minds. As it filled, the steady words of the priest filtered in with the wind.

"And so, with the passing of this day, our Lord brings another one of his children into his kingdom. One day we shall all be reunited in his all loving gaze. Lord, bless this soul." He shut up bible and turned to walk away politely. He'd found that it was better to leave the love ones to disperse on their own.

None of them left though. They watched the grave fill with soil and stepped up one last time to leave their bouquets and last gifts.

They all brushed and a hand over the cold grave marker erected in the ground and read it as they passed by.

Gilbert Beilschmit

18 January 1978 – 12 August 2013

Suum Cuique

A Free Man That Meant Much To Many

Did I win? I hope so.

As for ages.

Currently:

Gilbert and Elizabeta- 35, Al and Mattie- 25, Feliciano- 23, Ludwig- 24, Roderich- 30, Francis- 36, Antonio- 34

Gilbert and Elizabeta grew up together making them the same age. Ludwig is eleven years younger than Gilbert. At eighteen, Gilbert introduced a six year old Feli to a seven year old Ludwig. Matthew was nineteen when he met and began dating a twenty-nine year old Gilbert. At thirty-two, Gilbert fought a twenty-nine year old Roderich.

Yeah... I spent a while mapping it out on paper just to make sure everything was proper and stuffs... ignore my work if you feel like it. I did it just in case I ever decide to write what I would call "The Life and Times of Gilbert". So there you go.

I'll work on my other things now.

-MattieWinter-

P.S. I have never been to a funeral. Though I imagine that Gilbert would have been a christian and would want a priest at his funeral.