"Are you sure you're going to be fine?"
The Prussian turned, the setting sun behind him casting a halo around his person. "Yeah Austria, I promise I'll back alive." The troops, clothed in Prussian blue, all slowly marched, their bodies black with shadow. Prussia and Austria stood together, watching the slow sad march of men off to war.
"What about your brother?" Austria inquired softly, his eyes never moving from their fixed point at the horizon. Prussia looked up, smiling and leaning on his sword. "The kid? He'll be fine in your care." Austria smiled at Prussia, "Alright, I'll take him in."
More solders melted into the sun. "I should get going…" Prussia said softly, picking up the war banner that rested against the wall and holding it over his shoulder and slowly started to venture towards the ever lasting sunset. That is, before he heard a voice call out his name. "PRUSSSIAA!!!" The voice seemed far off, and he turned to face it. "YOU CANT LEAVE YET BRUDERRR!!" Finally the owner of the voice came into view, and the Holy Roman Empire tackled Prussia, clinging to his leg. "YOU CANT GO BRUDER, DON'T GO DON'T GO!" Prussia smiled and leaned down, gently placing a hand on the boy's hair, his hat having flown off from running, and slowly stroked it. Holy Roman Empire wailed, and cried and cried until Prussia put a hand over his mouth.
"Halt." He said softly, soothing the boy's tears. He hiccupped, and clutched Prussia's pant leg, burying his face into it. "Y-You can't go bruder.. You can't... if you go you'll die... don't go bruder, don't go!" Prussia blinked, before smiling kindly. "I won't die... I'm awesome…" He sighed. "Here. I'll give you this." He kneeled down on one knee, before messing with his collar and removing the iron cross from his neck. He placed it gently into his hand. "Protect this for me... Alright?" Holy Roman Empire blinked, his tears almost gone. "But Bruder... Th-this is... your eisernes kruez... I could never..."
Prussia gently bopped the tiny kingdom on the head. "Kid, it's yours. You better take damn good care of it too!" He ruffled the boy's hair and winked.
"Or I might not come back alive!"
Germany startled awake from his dream and sat up. He ran a hand slowly through his hair and took a deep, shaky breath. Where had that memory come from? Was it fake? A dream? He glanced around the room, before something caught his eye. He slipped out from under the warm covers, and shuffled to his wardrobe. The moonlight shined in through the slit in the curtains and glinted across his jewelry box. He watched the glittering objects for a moment, before picking one up by the regal purple ribbon that was connected to its back.
"Eisernes Kruez…"