A/n: This fanfic goes hand in hand with "Goodbye Lullaby". Though you don't need to read it, it would make more sense if you did.
Warnings, let get them out of the way shall we~? Okay, this will be dark(ish), Talk of dark topics, mention of character death, and a spoiler alert for the upcoming prequel fanfic of "Goodbye Lullaby"
And a GIANT Thank you/ shout out to; RabbitFangs0108, XxSurfer360xX, Kara Serenity, and FromPrussiaWithLove. I love you all soooo much! And this is dedicated to you four! *round of applause*
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Ludwig sighed as he sat in his room. His wounds had mostly healed now, thanks to being a country that is. He was alive and breathing thanks to Ivan finding him, and no thanks to Gilbert who left him to die.
Gilbert.
Gilbert was now dead.
Gilbert; who invaded and pilfered land for his own personal game.
Gilbert; who worked in the SS and knew about the atrocities committed by that man. While Ludwig fought for his country and that man on the battlefield.
Now though, he didn't know what to do as he laid on the creaky bed the Russian had given him. Gilbert had unknowingly been his reason. He was the tails to his heads on the same coin. They were two different beings entirely yet they needed and depended on each other. Or at least Ludwig did.
Gilbert had given him a reason to fight.
A goal to reach.
A person to rise above.
But now, he had nothing to clash against, no one to struggle against.
Even though Gilbert had beaten and neglected him all his life; Gilbert was his constant.
Liechtenstein was with him in his early years. They both had met and were in a sense 'brothers in arms' to become countries, even though they're both siblings. They were both each other's friend and shoulder to lean on, but when he had attained his victory and country, Liechtenstein had gone to Switzerland and now remained neutral with Vash. He was truly happy for her, she found a person who could and would actually help her. Not like Ludwig who had to fight to keep Prussia under tabs. It truly did break his heart when she left on her own to become strong, but he was happy for her all the same.
She had left him too, or did he inadvertently push her away? He didn't know.
And that's where he finds himself now, all alone and under four other countries rule. Russia had a large chunk, while the other three western allies had the rest.
Ludwig's thoughts kept racing down a morbid path as he stared at the ceiling. He stayed like that for hours, whenever Russia had come to check on him, Ivan saw he hadn't moved a millimeter. It was actually starting to scare the Russian. Ivan knew Ludwig very well. They had a good alliance through Germany's life, well, Austria was in it too, but it was Ludwig Ivan worked with most the time. And through all that time, Ivan knew how to read Ludwig. And what he saw now had him worried, was Ludwig as dead on the inside as he looked?
Ivan knew Ludwig was a fighter, a determined soul that had yet to be broken. Was he now? Did the execution of Gilbert push him past his breaking point and now this is all that's left? Sighing silently, Ivan gently closed the door and left, leaving Ludwig to his demons.
His own personal demons indeed.
Ludwig had now thought of everything. From the bumps on the ceiling to the meaning of life, yet he still had yet to find a reason to get off the bed and return to living.
Living… Had he ever lived? He remembered fighting to survive, but did that count… probably not.
Ludwig knew he'd have to get up and take everything in stride. But the question that kept circling in his head was; could he? Could he once again pick himself up and put up a brave face against the world?
At that moment a memory popped up in his inner fight. A memory that included Gilbert talking to troops near the end of the war. He remembered seeing the troop's downdraught; they knew they couldn't win. They knew they would probably never see home again; they knew they were going to die. At that moment, Gilbert got up and started to talk. "Most of you will probably not make it back home. Let alone out of battle. Berlin is going to be taken, but don't let them take you! You're all Germans! You are all fighters! And even as they are taking everything you don't let them take your pride!" Gilbert then got even louder as his voice projected across the mass of soldiers in his unit. "Even as the enemy is taking your life show them! Show them that you're a warrior! A German soldier! Fight, kick, bite, scratch and whatever else you can do to show you will not be vanquished without a fight! So that while you are dead and they are treating their wounds, they will know how hard it was to take you down! And they will never forget how hard it was to defeat you!"
That memory kept playing in Ludwig's head. Then he remembered his combat record. How he had to battle his way through life to become a country. That he still had to struggle when he became one.
And that's when the door was opened. Ludwig saw that it didn't matter how many battles one fought and won, it mattered if you walked away from the one you were in at this moment.
He would struggle, and he would brawl till his last breath.
He was a warrior, and he was going to live on.
He was going to survive.
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Hetalia is not mine (obviously).
I hope you all enjoyed this and please click the blue button bellow and leave a review (flames, or anything are welcomed as well) please! :3