Soon enough, she had put in the time to arrange a lunch date with him, and though Ludwig was biting at the nib to meet this reincarnation of his brother, she had a very specific assignment for him- Going into Russia, and finding what was going on with Kaliningrad. That was where this was starting, and it was undoubtedly the reason why Gilbert was back on earth.

In the meantime, she had to earn Gilbert's trust. Which was admittedly easier doing it a second time, partially because she knew what he was like, partially because the days of stabbing and killing were long since over and so a new nation was likely at a lot more ease, and therefore easier to get close to. The man was obnoxious with the sheer number of selfies he liked to send her, particularly of his home situation, in Kaliningrad. He was coming to her home, to Hungary in order to meet her. If things went well enough today, she would call Ludwig and ask him to come visit, and they would both explain what was up with him to the clueless albino nation (?).

She was at a cozy family owned deli in her home country, in Budapest, her heart. The owners knew her, and it was a kept secret between them that she was immortal. The great-grandmother still remembered the brunette nation fighting valiantly against the soviets, protecting the now-elderly woman, who at the time had been a child. The family was curious about who she was meeting.

The nation smiled enigmatically. "You will recognize him, Csilla," she looked to the window, waiting to see him walking around. "But do not mention anything to him. He will not know you."

And of course, a man with pep in his step, bouncing on the tip of his toes as he walked beside the window, looking into a small book that she recognized as a German-Hungarian dictionary. He almost walked past it, before he realized his mistake, and sheepishly bounced back to the glass door, and entered with a sort of nervous, excited energy. "Lizzy?" He called out as he came inside, before he saw the brunette chuckling at her seat in the raised tables up against the windows, and he smiled wider, this time covering up embarrassment.

"Hello, Gilbert." She said, testing his Hungarian, and he looked confused, before he proceeded to butcher a greeting back to her, and the only evidence her ears had been assaulted was her quick blinking, before she shook her head and gestured to the seat next to her. "We can speak in German for now." She said, helpfully, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Sounds great!" He chirped, before sitting down right next to her, grinning, and Hungary snorted. "You should order food, dummy. The shop owners will understand a bit of German, maybe Russian-if you know it? I don't know, you were born in Kaliningrad."

Gilbert shivered a bit at the mention of Russian, but went over to the counter, ordering in German to the woman, before going back over to the table with Elizabeta. The family in the deli was speaking in shocked Hungarian. They remembered his face- but many had attended his funeral.

He sat down, and eagerly wrapped an arm around her, grinning. That once ever-present distance was gone. He was young again, excited to be with her, in a way he never had been before.

"You know, I can't get around this inkling that I already know you so well," He said, smiling a bit nervously. "Like I've known you for a very long time." His hands fiddled with themselves, and he pulled her close. "Like this was meant to happen."

"Maybe it was." Hungary murmured, in the common tongue. "Tell me Gilbert, do you remember things that…perhaps, you shouldn't? This shop, perhaps?"

He made a face as he looked around, before he paled a bit. "Uhm, is this a trick question?" He asked, biting his lower lip in a half-smile.

"Well, Gilbert." She said, sighing. "From your reaction, I assume this place is at least familiar to you, as I am to you." His brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" He asked again. "I don't…I've never been to Hungary." He said, though he was uncertain. "I don't remember, I don't think…I have?"

"I do not think you have." She agreed. "Not in this life, at the least."

"T-this life?" He asked, his eyes widening. "W-what are you….saying…? I've…only ever been in…..Kaliningrad…and Germany."

"Gilbert, I'm trying to make this easy, so I'm going to cut to the chase. We are not speaking in German, nor Hungarian." She admitted, sighing a bit. "Please, do not panic, or think this is crazy."

"I'm not speaking German?!" He asked, before he paled. "Oh. I'm not speaking German." He said, putting his hands on his head, thumbs massaging his temples. "Why am I not speaking German?" He looked up to her for answers. "What am I speaking?"

"Well, we don't precisely have a name for this language." She said, smiling a bit, grabbing his hand and holding it. "Please, Gilbert, do not panic. You're not in trouble, nor will this be a bad thing." She gripped it tight. "This is called the common tongue. We are born speaking it, as far as we know."

"S-so, there's….a we? Whose we?" He asked in a high pitched voice, nervous.

"Well, again, that's getting a bit complicated. You were only just born, in our terms." She said, gentle. "But, Gilbert, you are right. You don't know me, not really, but there's that comforting familiarity between us- you innately already know me. And that's because of who you are: Gilbert Beilschmidt, or Köingsberg, and ultimately…. Prussia." She said it with conviction and he shivered in response, looking away.

"T-that's…." He said, shaky now. "T-that was…what she called me…"

"The she you know, and yet you don't." Hungary nodded. "We don't know who she is, but…she sent you here, and gave you things that you didn't understand at the time- to make you more apparent to us who you were. A sword, a white cloak." She looked wistful. "Unfortunately, I didn't know…I was still mourning…." She gripped his hand tighter. "But, while you cannot actually remember anything, you feel that you do. The memories are gone, but the imprint remains, Prussia."

His head snapped back to look at her, red eyes wide. "W-what…what are you…saying?"

"You do not remember us, the memories are gone." She murmured. "But I, and many others… we remember you. You are Gilbert Beilschmidt, the personification of many things in his previous incarnation, and now the personification of whatever people that were left behind, that still try to emulate the essence of you."

"Shit..." He muttered, his shoulders rising in fear. "I…. I…. are you in league with that Russian freak?" His eyes avoided hers, looking for a way out.

"No, Gilbert." She said, gripping him tighter. "Look, I just got you back." She tried to pull him close. "We just got you back. Me, your brother, your friends… Please, stay with us, here. We can explain everything in more depth…please-don't run. Stay here, I'm calling Ludwig."

His eyes darted to the window, and he screamed a bit in panic. "I don't want to know!" He yelled, before she felt his energy gathering around him, undoubtedly Prussia's own great strength, and she looked out the window to see Russia staring at them, an enigmatic smile on his face. "I don't want to remember!" He shouted at her, and then vanished in a small pop. He had teleported to another location. One that would protect him, she imagined.

Once shock left Hungary's expression, she turned to Russia with rage, leaving a wad of cash on the table, and stood, walking calmly out the door, and up to Russia, who smiled at her with barely concealed anger. "Ah, Hungary." He showed teeth, but it wasn't a warming feeling. "You should know that I will not-" And he was silenced, with a sudden punch to his eye from the smaller woman, who took his shock to her advantage to pounce on him and start beating him up.

She felt hands grabbing her from behind, and she writhed and struggled as Russia looked to her with a horrible set of bruises and shock and rage. "Germany." He growled lowly. "I will not thank you for assisting me."

"I'm not assisting you." He admitted freely. "I was waiting for my chance to get in a punch, and to do so, I had to pull her off you." Elizabeta smirked at him, letting herself stop so that Ludwig could set her down. "So, you knew he was back." He said, flatly. "And you knew that us, his family and friends, were still mourning his loss."

"I was only trying to prevent you from mourning a second time." He smiled threateningly. "He will not be reestablished." He turned around. "That is still my territory, Germany."

They let the Russian walk away, Ludwig still glaring at his back, and the two then looked to each other. "Shit." Hungary whispered. "Russia showed up and he panicked, he teleported away. Probably to a place in Germany or in his home territory."

"He's not in Germany." Ludwig muttered, frustrated. "Shit. I'm calling Feliciano. We're organizing a meeting. We must make a search party, and gather him before Russia finds him."

Hungary nodded, looking to the sky, wondering what she was going to do once she found him.

XXXXX

3 hours later, the two of them had arranged a pretty sizable search party. Many nations had come to assist them in finding Gilbert. "Now, remember, we do not want to frighten him any more than he already is." Germany reminded them. "We know he's already being hunted by Russia. If you find him, do not chase him. Offer him some of the water in the bottles being handed to you." He said firmly as Feliciano passed them around. "We have drugged these, so do not drink them." Ludwig rubbed his temples. "While it pains me to have to do it, from what Hungary told us, he does not trust us."

"Germany, that will not assist us in helping him learn to trust us." France said, firmly. "He will become afraid."

"But we cannot leave him out there." Germany reminded. "Russia has told us that he intends on destroying him if he is found. So, this is the best solution. We can ask for his forgiveness after he is safe."

France looked uneasy, but nodded. "Alright… I cannot promise not to try other methods first."

"And these are simply last resorts." Hungary said, firmly. "If he looks flighty, give him it. Until we know for sure we can't reason with him, don't use it."

The woman watched her friends spread out, and start the search for him. But, in her heart, she had an inkling of where in Kaliningrad he would be.

She traveled north on her own, prepared to have Gilbert back by her side. She wanted so badly to try again.

She reached the clearing where she remembered meeting Teutonic Knights for the first time.

"You murdered him!" She had screamed at the young personification across from her, with white hair and demonic eyes. "You killed him, and for what?"

"I didn't do that. In all likelihood, I'm his replacement. He probably didn't make it back to where he was born in time, and so I was born in his place." He said, scoffing. Hungary didn't like how arrogant he was.

"Yeah, whatever, Teutonic Knights." Hungary grumbled. "I'll accept your offer though, I do need your help…"

And the boy had smiled, bright, and confident.

But, there was no such person in sight. There was no Gilbert. Meaning…he hadn't returned here, his birthplace. That was where a nation who didn't know how to control their ability wound up. As she searched nearby, she realized he wasn't here at all.

But, in the back of her mind, a suspicion crept up. Gilbert never confided in her in his past life, but she remembered a meeting with another nation. One who was more similar…to this Gilbert.

Hungary had been quick on her feet as a child, and the moment she first saw him, watching her in his white cloak, the child towards him, sword in hand to fight off the obvious German tribe. The boy jumped back, and took out his sword, prepared to fight back in order to defend himself.

They clashed swords when Hungary finally reached him, and the other child called out for her to stop. "Hey! I don't want to fight!" He said, loudly. "I just wanted to talk!"

Hungary frowned at him, before putting her sword down. "What? Aren't you a Germanic tribe, coming to invade?" She had asked, confused.

"Well, I am a Germanic tribe, but I don't want to invade!" He said, quickly when Hungary instantly turned suspicious.

"What do you want…?" Hungary asked, skeptical of this personification's true.

"I want…I want to be friends!" He blurted, before looking embarrassed. "I mean, I was partially raised in a big group of nations, and I want that again…my nation hasn't yet been given to me…."

Hungary laughed loud, and hard, and the boy frowned, only his mouth visible beneath his hood, huffing and folding his arms. "Oh…oh! You were actually serious…" She looked over at the other, curious as to what he was going at.

"Yeah, I was serious!" He shouted, embarrassed. "I'd like to have some allies, you know…?"

Hungary nodded, thoughtful. "You know, I wouldn't mind an ally either… But, you never told me your name, kid." She jokingly referred to how the child was the slightest bit shorter.

"I'm more than likely older than you…kid my ass…" The other child muttered, before he shook his head. "I'm Teuton." He introduced. "I'm a tribe from the North."

"The north?" The boy asked, curious, and he nodded, before looking up to the blue sky above them to avoid Hungary's gaze.

"Yeah, I was born there…kinda weird." He murmured, more to himself than to Hungary.

"Yeah, you're far from home if you're down here…" He agreed.

"I am, indeed…"

Teuton, the nation that Hungary believed Teutonic Knights had killed- he had never revealed his face to Elizaveta. But…what if Teutonic Knights never killed him? What if that was Prussia's very first incarnation?

If so, she'd need to travel farther north. Because that was where Teuton had claimed to be born, after all.

And her suspicions were rewarded. As she made it to the furthest north bit of Kaliningrad, she felt him nearby. She left her car, and walked over to where she saw him making a tent, attempting to camouflage it as well. He looked injured, and upset.

"Gilbert?" She called out quietly, not wanting to startle him, still maintaining a good distance. "Hey, you're hurt."

He froze, before slumping to the ground. "Is it that obvious?" He mumbled, rubbing his cheeks. He didn't move, and so she walked closer.

"Well, you're bleeding from your wounds still, so, yeah." She said, gentle. He turned around to face her, looking all cut up and her heart broke. "Oh, Gilbert…" She said, face softening. "Did he find you?"

Gilbert hesitated, before nodding. "He…he told me that…. I was wanted." He mumbled. "Wanted dead. By people other…than him." Hungary closed the gap between them, and sat next to him.

"Oh, you idiot." She mumbled. "Why would I want to date you if I wanted you dead? Why wouldn't I have killed you then, rather than let you go?" He opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't find words. So he went quiet. "It's because I don't want you dead." Elizabeta wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You're confused, probably because you don't remember anything in detail, and he took advantage of that."

"Why, though?" He asked, still confused and concerned. "Why tell me that if you don't want me dead?"

Hungary sighed. "Because, you're going to represent something that will take territory away from him. We are nations, Gilbert, and he is worried about the repercussions on his control of Kaliningrad. You were made to represent something here. And he still controls it, and still desires to control it in the future. You're existence is a threat to him." She hugged him close. "That being said, I never got to finish what I was saying earlier." Elizabeta mused.

"Oh." He chuckled a bit, though it was forced humor. "Right….I kinda panicked."

"Well, that being said, you have existed before. And you were my best friend. Your brother, your friends, myself…we all want you back. Besides…I was there when you died." She admitted. "You told me something that I never knew the last time you lived."

Prussia looked to her with uncertainty. "And…what was that?"

"Something I wanted to say back right away." She kissed him softly on his lips. "I love you, you jerk." He sunk into her kiss, but soon after she noticed he wasn't really kissing her- he had fainted, from blood loss and shock, most likely.

She texted Ludwig that she had him, and so picked him up, cradling him in her arms. He was thin; he was always too thin. Even last time, where he had grown strong, he was far too lithe for a good frame. He didn't have the muscle of his past self yet, though. So he was all in all, a 5'5 man who weighed less than a hundred pounds. Underweight.

However, as she walked back, she heard a voice. "Ah, so it seems you found my little runaway revolt." Russia's voice taunted her.

"Ugh, you fucking bastard." She growled. "Leave him alone."

Russia emerged from the trees. "He is still quite fast, though lacking in strength he once possessed." He mused. "Ah, well, I do have to crush him before he can pose any threat to my hegemony in Kaliningrad." The man started to get closer, before all of a sudden, there was a thunk, and Russia toppled to the ground.

"Seee?" A familiar voice called out from behind the figure. "I told you he'd be here! And he's unconscious! Bonus!"

"Poland?" Hungary said, confused. "What are you…?"

The blonde smiled at her as he popped out from his hiding spot. "It's not me you should thank! It's, like, Liet who earned the credit!"

"He had it coming." The brunette Baltic nation said quietly, trying to brush it off. "So…your suspicions were right, Poland…" He murmured, looking at the unconscious Gilbert with amazement. "Not only is Gilbert back, but he always was one of us. This was where Teuton was born. He is simultaneously a Slavic, a Germanic, and a Baltic nation."

Poland snorted. "No wonder Prussia's always been a basket case." He waved a hand, and Lithuania sighed.

Gilbert stirred a bit, and gripped onto Hungary. Elizabeta thanked them again, but then spoke up. "Look, I do have to get him out of here…it's not precisely safe for him." Lithuania nodded.

"We will have words…. whenever he remembers." Lithuania muttered, but Poland hugged him from behind, making him stop talking, and wave to Hungary as she walked to her car, and set him in the backseat, before taking off to meet Ludwig at his house in Berlin.

XXXXX

Hungary was there when he woke up, he complained about his head, but then caught sight of everyone around him, and went quiet, before uttering a very loquacious "Shit."

Everyone laughed at that, not because it was funny, but because it was so utterly Gilbert, and he was finally back, even if he lacked a good portion of his memories, for the moment.

Elizabeta sat beside him, and gently squeezed his hand- making Prussia flush and Austria cough up his drink, staring at them in disbelief. Gilbert caught this from Roderich, and a very familiar smug grin took over his face. "Hey Austria, it must suck to have her taken from you by force!"

Roderich made a face. "Of course he recognizes you first." Spain muttered, rubbing his temples, and Gilbert snorted in amusement.

"I don't care how I knew that, but I think that was meant to happen!" He laughed obnoxiously, before Hungary whacked him upside the head with her frying pan.

"Just because I'm dating you now…" She muttered, annoyed, and Gilbert nodded quietly, humbled (for the moment) by pain.

Germany looked at him, still in disbelief, as his brother was there, and not dead, not gone. The albino nation looked over at him with confusion, but something in him recognized this person was important, and so he sat up, still a bit shaky on his feet from the head wound, and hugged him tight, letting his (older? Younger?) Brother hug him tight, feeling him there and knowing he was alive.

"Ugh, you guys have a lot of explaining…why does that frying pan feel familiar?" He asked as he pulled away from Ludwig, and most nations snickered, but Austria only huffed.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Prussia." England said, reluctantly. "Sorry for my part in kicking you out in the first place."

Prussia only grinned. "Well, thanks for that apology. Prepare to have it held over your head for the rest of eternity."

Hungary got him again, and this time he just passed out. When they looked to her in surprise, she shrugged.

"Guess his body can't handle the hits like it used to." She smirked, and pulled him back onto the bed.

She had a feeling he would have a long fight ahead of him, but she was sure that he would manage.