June 1945, Berlin
Hungary was in pain; so much pain. The pain went beyond the physical. She wept, as tenth of her people lie dead after the war that tore apart the world. She wept that so many died for nothing. She wept that for the second time in 30 years, she had her people and territory stripped away from her. Most of all, she wept that her friends now sat on the other side of a new war. A Cold War. She never truly got to know germany that well, but always felt like she already knew him. He stood up for his friends and they had fought two world wars together. Italy, innocent little italy, he who was like a brother to her, had been ravaged by the war and occupied by the allies like Germany was. Even Austria, her ex-husband and perhaps closest friend, was with the allies as well. Their marriage had always been one of politics rather than of love, but after nearly 200 years of marriage, they had become incredibly close friends and 20 years of divorce hadn't changed that. Even though they shared a border, he was like the rest of them; so very far away. She could no longer see any of the people she loved anymore without Russia's permission and he wasn't in the mind to give it. Well, all but one. She had known Prussia since they were both children, since before they had obligations and had to deal with the world. Their relationship used to always take the form of a rivalry, but now they had fought the two worst wars in history together and that can change your opinion of someone. That's why she was in berlin tonight. She hadn't heard from him since the surrender and was getting concerned as to the fate of the one friend she had left. She walked the streets of berlin looking for him until it was late in the night. She kicked herself that hadn't thought to look in the berlin palace. It was, like the rest of the city, in complete ruins but it was where the Prussian Kings called home since before they were the emperors of germany. This was where she found him. He was sat on the ground in the former throne room, against the wall opposite the throne, or what was left of it. His black uniform was tattered and rife with bullet holes over wounds that had quickly healed. He allowed his head to fall between his legs and had his hands on his knees.
"Prussia?..." She called out to him. He let out a sad grunt in acknowledgement. "I-I hadn't heard from you since...well...I was beginning to get worried."
"Post office is gone, radio is gone, everything is...gone." He said without lifting his head. Hungary remembered how Prussia reacted to the end of the last war, in fits of anger and hatred. This was a different reaction. For the first time, Hungary saw Prussia in what she could only describe as absolute despair. "You know," he said as he raised his head and pointed to the withered and sad throne, "Kings of Prussia have sat there since 1451. Five hundred years of royalty and majesty...and look at it now...Old and Beaten...just like me." Hungary looked back at Prussia's face and noticed tear stains down his cheeks. She walked over and sat down next to him. She tried to think of something to say, but it felt like the end of the world had come for them and that's a difficult mood to try and overcome. She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.
"This is my fault...This is all my fault. All of this death and destruction is because of me. We lost because I didn't fight hard enough."
"You didn't fight this war alone, you know. The responsibility wasn't all on you."
"But it was. All I've ever known is war. All I've learned is how to fight. This was what I was meant for, der Endsieg, and I failed...so completely…"
This wasn't the man Hungary knew. The Prussia she knew was full of arrogance and hubris, but this man was in anguish because he let those who were counting on him down. She wanted to help him, to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say or what to do.
"They want me gone too. They don't just want me to be defeated, they want to officially 'Abolish' Prussia…" His mouth became a sad smile, "...I didn't know you could abolish a nation. Maybe I'll be the first…" He let out a weak chuckle. After a moment of pause, his smile left him and his eyes went downward. "I deserve it too. After the last war, I let anger overcome me. I thought that the only way I could get back at the people who humiliated me was to go about it the one way I know how...the only way I always knew...to fight...even if that meant fighting the world."
She could feel her heart break when he said he deserved to be abolished; to die. She wanted to scream out 'No!' but she caught herself and thought for a moment. She was beginning to realized how deeply she cared for him. She felt selfish for only realizing in his moment of supreme weakness. She so desperately wanted to say something to him, anything at all, but the words simply weren't there. After a moment of silence, Prussia once again broke the silence.
"If I'm to be ended soon, there is no point in keeping any secrets. Back before the world was like this, when it was simple, I wanted to be with you but I never knew how to say it. So I never did. I didn't think much of it until Austria had you. Austria used to be my friend but once you were with him all I wanted to do was kick his ass…" He once again put on his sad, tear stained smile, "...As usual, all I knew how to do was fight. I fought him over Silesia, I fought him over Hannover, hell I got into a war against France, Russia, and Spain, just because he was on their side. And every war ended the same...I would win and expect you to realize how much 'stronger' I was than him and come running to me...but that never happened...because every time you took care of him, and looked at me like with hate in your eyes because of how I had hurt him...and it just made me even more frustrated. All of this is to say that...I'm sorry...for everything…"
Hungary was on the verge of tears and nearly held them back. But then she saw him quietly crying again. He put his head back between his legs, but she could hear the tears continuing to hit the ground. Tears began to fall down her face too and she reached out and grasped his hand.
"Please...please don't leave me...I can't do this alone...please Gilbert." He was taken back by the usage of his real name. He didn't answer at first, then he squeezed her hand tightly and brought it to his chest while his tears slowed.
"I won't...I promise you, Elizabeta…" His tears began again, "Im so...so sorry…"
The two of them sat there with each other until they had no tears left to cry. They both wept for their friends, their people, but they did not despair. Because no matter how difficult the world would get from here on out, they both knew that they wouldn't need to face it alone. They had each other.