Axis Powers Hetalia: Dei Gratia Imperator Semper Augustus
Life and death are forever linked and entwined together. Where one begins, the other ends.
Vienna, 1806
France was ill at ease, to say the least. He nervously pulled his uniform straighter and tried to assume a more commanding pose, perhaps hoping that it would assure him that his grim duty was a necessary one despite being more than loathsome to him. But his Emperor had given an order and there could be no other choice for France now. Oh, how the beautiful uniform of Grande Armée in blue and white felt so constraining, so heavy.
"Mon Empereur", France had asked with a troubled voice. "Is zis really necessary? 'e's just a small boy, never grown to fullness of adulthood, always in ze background, always a second player to ze likes of Austria or Bohemia."
"It is necessary", Napoleon had answered sternly. "It must come to be. A small boy 'e may be, but 'e and 'is little kingdoms 'ave caused too much trouble already. Austria and Prussia are too bold while 'e lasts. Do your duty to your Emperor, France, and do not falter. God be with you."
France walked through majestic corridors of the palace of Austria's rulers and his mood became ever darker. His hands started to shake and he had to grap the hilt of his sword to stop that annoying and betraying motion. And finally he was there. He stood before a door and Austria stood before him, with disgust in his eyes.
"You have come", Austria said – no, he didn't say it, he nearly spat the words out of his mouth. "Like a good little lap dog to your upstart Corsican. Tell me, do you-"
"Enough", France said and raised his white-gloved hand. "I 'ave not come 'ere to listen to you. Where is 'e?"
Austria didn't answer, simply glanced at the door behind him. France took a step forward, but Austria didn't move one bit, so he had to be shoved aside. Have I become a mere thug, a ruffian of the worst sort? France wailed in his thoughts.
France opened the door. The door made creaked when it opened, like it would be in anguish, and France winced at it. He saw that he was in a bedroom now, a bedroom with a huge bed and huge windows but furniture was sparse. And on that bed lied the sick-looking young boy with a serious expression and almost accusing look in his blue eyes.
"'ello, 'oly Roman Empire", France said softly while he closed the door behind him. "It's been a long time since we've last met."
"Yes", Holy Roman Empire answered. He didn't say anything else, just looked at France and for some reason that look, that disappointed, tired and depressed look with no fear or hesitation made France even more hesitant.
"'ow 'ave you been, little one?" He finally said to break the foreboding silence.
"I'm as old as you are", the little Empire said and some indignation entered his voice. "I've… just never had the chance to grow up."
Silence returned. Neither of them spoke. France could see that the Empire was holding back coughs – he had been sick for a long time, the division and discontent among his kingdoms, duchies and principalities having made him so.
"I'm tired", the Empire said then. He lowered his head on a pillow and closed his eyes. "I need to sleep now."
"Yes", France said and felt tears in his eyes. "A long sleep is what you need, my little prince, a long sleep so zat you can reach ze stars and see all ze wonders what ze 'eavens 'ave to offer to you." And as he said so, France sat beside the small boy and took another pillow in his hand.
"What wonders there are?" Empire asked and looked at France, but then closed his eyes again and kept them tightly shut.
"Oh, such strange wonders zat you can't even possibly imagine zem all", France said reassuringly. "Out zere is a guardsman who is always lighting up a street lamp and zen putting it out immediately zereafter, for so quickly does 'is day and night go; a king sitting on 'is throne and 'is vast cape covering 'is little domain almost entirely; a beautiful little rose with 'er own domain among ze stars… Zey are all out zere, somewhere, just waiting for you, my prince…"
And as France spoke he lowered the pillow which he now held with both of his hands. At least the boy would die in his sleep without any pain.
Outside...
Austria stood outside and felt tears in his eyes. He raised his hand to wipe them and then he heard the sound of someone running. He looked up and saw Prussia approaching quickly. The northern kingdom's face was distorted with fear and inner turmoil, his breath short even without the long run.
"Where is he?" Prussia shouted at Austria once he reached him. "Where is France?!"
"He's behind the closed door", Austria answered and saw Prussia's terror growing in his eyes.
"And… and is HE there as well?"
"I'm afraid so…" Austria had more to say, but words failed him now.
And then the door creaked and opened. France strived out and was openly weeping and wiping tears with his white gloves. He didn't even bother looking at Prussia or Austria, simply walked past them and sobbed.
"Mon Dieu, prends pitié", he murmured to himself amidst the sobbing. He could not see anything else than the sleeping boy with his blue eyes closed forever.
As France had passed them, Prussia ran to the room with Austria following him. There they found the boy, sleeping a lifeless sleep on his vast bed. Prussia grapped the boy and then held him tight, hugging his doll-like figure and crying uncontrollably. Austria lowered his hand on Prussia's shoulder and sobbed, forgetting the years of discontent between them.
"Gott in Himmel, halten den Jungen sicher in Ihren Armen", Austria sobbed, praying, for surely Holy Roman Empire was now in Heaven where no evil or pain could ever reach him again. An empire of nearly thousand years had fallen before ever reaching maturity, his soul pure before the eyes of the angels of our Lord.
Prussia cried and his shoulders trembled with the strength of his emotions. Barely a century ago he had become a mighty kingdom by the grace of this boy, this Empire, whose spirit had been so much greater than his body had ever been. But who could now give crown and strength to this little one? Who could now give him hope?
Death's hand hovered over the boy, but then stayed there. Another fate had been decreed for the boy and even Death, destroyer of worlds, was halted in his relentless advance. Life sprang anew.
The boy gasped and started to breathe. So weak was the breathing that neither Austria nor Prussia heard it at first. But then Prussia's crying ended and Austria awoke from his sobbing. They saw how the boy's little chest went up and down. As a little angel he slept.
"Mein Gott…" Prussia murmured as joy crept back into his heart.
Slowly the boy opened his eyes and his piercing blue glaze met Prussia's eyes. Then he looked at Austria and again at Prussia while both nations could only stare at him.
"Are you my brother?" The boy asked then of Prussia. "What is your name?"
My brother…
"Yes, I am your brother", Prussia answered and laughed. He hugged the little one tightly and then released him, wiping tears from his own eyes. "Your big brother."
"Who are you?" the boy asked from Austria, who was at first taken back, but then smiled again. "I am Austria", the mighty nation said softly. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
New life has been given to him, Austria thought. But his old life is now locked away in his mind. A new start. But he could not help himself from feeling sad again, for in his heart he felt the boy drifting away from him.
"Austria's big like me", Prussia said smiling. "Not as big as me, obviously, but bigger than you are. But don't you worry, don't you dare to worry. Your big bro's going to make sure you become big as well. Big and strong, stronger than anyone else." And one day, Prussia swore in his mind, his pain flashing through it, one day even France will bow down to you, when you are no longer a little Empire. You shall be an empire so great that all of Europe will tremble.
The palace of Versailles, 1871
France looked on with disgust as the Prussian and Bavarian and God alone knows what other German national officers trampled all over the corridors and carpets of the Versailles, barely heeding him at all. The French staff had been firmly set aside, almost impolitely – but such was the way of these German soldiers, crass and uncouth.
"Yo, France", France heard a familiar voice and then he saw Prussia in his blue uniform wearing general's badges and smirking. "You didn't think this would happen, now did you?"
"What do you want, you 'orrible uncouth tin soldier?" France asked gloomily. "You're dragging mud all over my emperor's carpets!"
"Sorry about that, but we're in a kind of hurry", Prussia answered. "It's about emperor, really."
France blinked. "Is Napoleon III 'ere?" he asked.
"Oh no no no, I'm not talking about your emperor", Prussia answered and smirked even more aggravatingly.
"Zere's no other emperor of which I am aware", France said, irritated. Prussia slapped him on his back and laughed.
"You'll understand soon enough", the Germanic nation said and raised a finger in front of his mouth. A secret…
Prussia nodded forward and France understood that he wanted him to accompany him. As they walked towards the Hall of Mirrors of the palace France saw others join them: Bavaria was there, and Hannover as well, and many other German principalities and kingdoms.
"Is zis some kind of a family meeting?" France asked dryly. "Where's Austria, zen?"
Prussia gave out a little mean laugh. "Yeah, he's not invited. Too big a family, too much of an hassle, you see."
"Invited to what?"
The doors of the Hall of Mirrors opened before them and France saw hundreds of officers, officials and dignitaries, all cheering. He saw a man dressed in a blue uniform walking towards the throne and standing up before it. He recognized the King of Prussia and looked at Prussia.
"To coronation. My King is about to become an emperor", Prussia answered.
"All hail Wilhelm the First, German Emperor and King of Prussia!" someone shouted and everyone shouted "Long live the Emperor, long live the Empire!"
As the crowd started to shout even more in their hour of triumph, France could barely understand what was going on and in his confusion he turned to Prussia, who was smirking like never before.
"Emperor..? Empire? Are you ze new empire, zen?" France could finally ask.
Prussia laughed and waived his hand. "No, I'm Prussia and I'll remain Prussia. There's someone else who's the real empire, someone who has been trained for years and years and years for that and is now ready for it."
"Who?" France asked.
"Guess, or take a look", Prussia said and winked at France.
France was not sure at first what Prussia meant, but he soon saw how the crowd parted and a tall man strived forth. He was blonde and he was dressed in a general's uniform, like Prussia, but he wore Imperial badges and medals of merit and garments befitting an emperor. He took his place at the Emperor's side and then France saw his eyes – piercing blue eyes. And he recognized them.
"… He… He?!" France could only say. Prussia nodded and smiled.
"He indeed. Not holy, not Roman, certainly, but pure Empire – and German above it all. Germany is now here."
France could only stare in amazement and wonderment at this new Empire, at this Germany. A stern man with little no to smile on his face with a posture of a soldier. How different this adult Empire was when compared to the child. Different, yet still the same. Maybe the One Above had heard his prayers, France thought and actually smiled again. There would be many problems to be faced, yes, for the Franco-Prussian War was still going on. But France did feel a moment of relief for this one blessing.
And the crowd was cheering and their mirth was boundless. And soon someone started to sing and others joined him. Soon everyone sang.
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, über alles in der Welt…