A figure hurried towards the house of Roderich Edelstein. It was dressed in a white shirt, olive trousers and a tan jacket with a large green cap to hide his face. The man reached the building and sighed before knocking on the scorched, beaten up door, evidence of the recent war. The man who answered it a few moments later wasn't in much better shape, Covered in scrapes and bandages, his brunette hair was completely disheveled and singed at the ends. But that was the least of it. This man had been emotionally battered too. His face was haggard and his eyes shone with regret, misery, and anguish.
"Basch, is that really you?" his voice came out as a whisper.
"Well whom did you expect? Sadik (1) or perhaps Germania and Ancient Rome? You're the one who called me, Roderich," the blond responded angrily with crossed arms.
At the sight of his past friend, Roderich began to weep, "Oh, Basch, she's gone, my dear Elizabeta left me."
"Well, it's not like it's the first time (2)," the blond man replied flatly.
"That's only the start, Basch, only the start," he began to sob, leaning on the battered door for the little support it could give.
"Let's get you inside," Basch sighed inaudibly and helping the battered man inside his own home. Basch was still angry with the Austrian - being seen here could endanger Switzerland's neutrality - but Roderich was an absolute mess and completely alone on top of that. Being a neutral country, the pain of isolation was something Basch could relate to.
"At least I have you to come and pick up the pieces when things fall apart on me," Roderich laughed dryly after spilling all of his problems.
"Don't laugh. What did you really call me here for?" he asked impatiently.
"It's my daughter (3), I need someone to care for her," Roderich said. Basch knew Roderich had a daughter from one of his previous marriages, but he had never seen or met the girl.
"You must be joking. I can barely take care of myself. Thanks," Basch gave Roderich a very pointed look. The entire world had just been turned on its ear because this man and his ex-wife's foolhardy decisions (4). Seriously, Roderich needed to consider his family more. This whole World War could have been avoided if he had.
"She's a neutral nation like you, but completely defenseless (5). Not to mention, the Allied Powers won't trade with her because she is related to me (6). She's starving and so weak. She'll die without help," Roderick protested.
"I said no. I don't have the finances to support another nation."
"But she's tiny, a population of only 40 thousand. And I know that you have a soft spot for weak and defenseless things."
"I do not, you pathetic mess," the blond man protested.
"And yet, you've come to see me against better judgement," the brunette pointed out. For a moment, the Swiss man was speechless.
"That's it, I'm leaving," Basch got up to go.
"Wait, please!" Roderich begged, "Yes, she's naive and a bit young, but she's obedient and mild tempered, pretty too. You could train her to your liking and when she is a bit older, she would be a perfect wi-" (7)
"Stop talking right now!" Basch thrust his palm out, "That is taking it too far, much too far!"
"Please, I'm desperate! At least look at a picture of her. It might help you decide and then you'd know what she looks like if you do decide to take me up on this offer," Roderich held out a small photograph to the man standing with his hand slapped over his eyes in frustration.
"No. I've saved you so many times. Enough is enough," Basch stomped out without even glancing at the photograph. The pianist began to break down behind him, but Basch did not look back.
"Great, it's raining," Basch grumbled as he walked outside. With every large, cold drop that soaked through his clothes, he regretted not owning a raincoat more and more. Sure, his uniform was waterproofed, so not buying a raincoat saved money, but for occasions like this, a raincoat would most definitely be handy.
As the sky continued to darken, the rain steadily increased. In no time at all, what started out as a light, autumn shower became a fierce thunderstorm. As Basch rushed down a particularly deserted street, a soft noise caught his attention. It sounded like someone crying. Basch went to investigate the area.
When he saw the young girl sitting in a puddle, Basch began walking towards her. She wore a very dirty dress, but Basch could tell it had originally been pink and of the finest material. The tattered pinafore she wore over said dress was torn and sprinkled with mud. Her thin face was smeared with soot and framed by dirty locks which had been fixed in two braids long ago. Two dull, green orbs looked down in defeat. This girl was a shell of her previous self, whatever majestic self that might have been. As she leaned back against the wall behind her and closed her eyes, Basch reached her.
"Hey, are you awake? You know it's raining, right?" Basch asked softly. The girl slowly opened her eyes. Basch kneeled to be eye level with the girl. She was shivering violently, so Basch removed his jacket and put it around her. Then he placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She didn't speak or move, but she didn't need to.
"Help me," those big green orbs pleaded before closing again. This time, the girl fell forward into unconscious and Basch's outstretched arms.
"We need to get you somewhere warm and dry," Basch whispered to the girl as he picked up her thin frame. He continued to comfort her in that manner as he carried her shivering form wrapped up in his jacket home.
When he got home, Basch called Monica (8).
"Hello, who is calling me so late at night?" she answered the telephone.
"Monica, it's Basch. On my way home tonight, I found a young lady unconscious in the rain. Her clothes are soaking wet and she can't possibly stay in them. Could you..." Basch began. He had started off well enough, but had gotten flustered by the end.
"I see. I will be right over," Monica replied before hanging up. Basch placed the phone back on the receiver and looked over at the unknown girl sleeping on the couch by the fire.
She looked so peaceful. But her presence worried Basch. There were very few innocent reasons for a girl to be wandering the streets alone late at night. What if she was a spy or a criminal? Basch didn't like thinking this girl was dangerous, but he had a nation counting on him. It would be tragic if he had escaped the horrors of the War just to be terrorized by a girl he found in the rain.
A few hours later, Monica quietly exited the spare bedroom in Basch's house and closed the door behind her.
"All done. It is lucky that you found the child when you did. She would not have survived the night outside," Monica turned around and leaned against the door to face the Swiss man leaning against the opposite wall.
"Do you know who she is?" Basch asked quietly, looking down the empty hallway.
"I do not know the child's exact name,"
"You know everyone," he interjected and turned to look at Monica.
"I do not know the child's name, but I know of her. She is Liechtenstein, a neutral nation. She used to be quite wealthy, but the war has brought her economic downfall. Your own economy is very weak at the moment. She could take you both down if you keep her here," Monica warned.
Basch looked away, "You should have seen her, Monica. She was so helpless. I couldn't just leave her there."
"Just remember your own well being. I do not want to see you disappear along with the girl," Monica sighed. Basch was sometimes too kind for his own good. It was probably his way of repenting for storing the money of criminals and what not.
"I have no plans of disappearing, Monica," Basch assured her. Monica and Basch headed for the front door.
"If you do keep the child here, just be careful. When she wakes up, she'll be very confused. Be patient with her, but insist that she rests. Also, do not feed her for a while. Make sure she can keep water down and then plain bread. Keep her on a plain diet for a while. Also, you will need some clothes for her. Do you have any?" Monica took his slight blush for a no.
"I thought not. Here are some. They might not be a perfect fit, but they will do until she can get something else. Do not spend a lot of money on her though. You need to consider your own situation too," Monica gave the man a small bag as they reached the front door.
"Thank you so much," Basch said as Monica stepped into the night air.
"No thanks are needed. Just watch yourself," Monica smiled slightly at the Swiss man before heading home.
(1) Sadik Adnan,Turkey. Until World War I, he'd be the Ottoman Empire, which collapsed at the end of the war.
(2) In 1916, the Hungarian government sought an armistice with the Entente powers, the leaders of the Allied Powers. The request was denied.
(3) In Hetalia (Episode 23) Lichtenstein was introduced as an Austrian princess.
(4) On June 21, 1914, a Serbian ambassador told Austro-Hungarian officials that they suspected there was a conspiracy to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The warning went unregarded and a week later (June 28) in Sarajevo, the Archduke and his wife were shot to death by a member of the "Black Hand," a secret terrorist society. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia. After that, the other nations were pulled in due to alliances and thus World War I had begun.
(5) The Liechtenstein army of 80 men was disbanded in 1868.
(6) During World War I, the Allied Powers placed Liechtenstein in an economic embargo.
(7) A reference to how young some Austrian princesses were married off. Marie Antoinette was only 15.
(8) Monica is what I'm calling Monaco. So far, she doesn't have an official human name and is featured in the manga only. Also, Monaco was neutral during World War 1.