Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a grand nation called Russia. It was ruled by a great leader, and owned by a man as old as the country itself. But he did not own the nation- no, that would have been beneath him.

The owner's name was Ivan. He was a fairly brutal and vicious person, but he respected the countries that thought for themselves and stood up to more powerful ones. Ivan didn't like them, exactly, but he respected them. When the countries of Germany and Prussia had dared challenge him, Russia had easily defeated Prussia and was about to move on to Germany when they were stopped. The current owner of Prussia, Gilbert, wanted to speak to Ivan.

"Please," Gilbert begged, exhausted and defeated from his long battle. "Leave Germany alone."

"How would that benefit me?" Ivan asked, kneeling down to face his foe. Gilbert's eyes grew cold and calculating.

"I'll give you all of my land." He said finally. "Just don't touch Germany."

Ivan consulted his boss, who thought it was a good idea. Personally, Ivan disliked the idea. Prussia's land was scarce and lacking in anything but potato crops, but what his boss says goes. Their builders constructed a wall to prevent rebellions, named the Berlin Wall- after the former capital of Prussia.

Several years into his possession of Prussia, Ivan noticed Gilbert leaving the sickbay. This worried Ivan, because the Prussian had been getting sicker and sicker lately, and his boss had told him to take care of their captive.

When he followed the strange albino, Ivan observed him sitting against a wall and yelling over it.

"Ludwig, I'm sorry." Gilbert rasped, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Gilbert, is that you?!" A frantic voice yelled from the other side- Ludwig, the Russian assumed. "Don't be sorry, you have nothing to be sorry for! I'll come and get you, just wait!"

Ivan's eyes clouded, and he walked over to Gilbert, lifting him in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, little brother." Gilbert sighed, and the wind picked up the sound. Ivan turned sharply, carrying his captive back to the sickbay. Neither of them heard the screams from the other side; or, if they did, they didn't pay attention.

Gilbert died later that day, slipping away in his sleep.

Ivan's boss made no short work in destroying the Prussian people and culture right away, seeing as their key player had died. The Germans became offended at this, and gained help from Austria and Hungary. The three of them made short work of the Russian armies in the Prussian area, with Ivan pulling strings behind the scenes, but they found no trace of Gilbert.

After many more years, Ludwig built a monument to commemorate the loss of Gilbert- who, Ivan learned, had been his brother- and one day Ivan went to go see it.

On the way there, he stopped at a flower shop in the city nearby. He noticed a bouquet of sunflowers and decided that they would suffice; if he was going to a grave, he might as well leave something.

Ivan quickly dug a hole in front of the monument as soon as he arrived. Dropping a small silver container full of Gilbert's ashes into the dirt, he filled the hole back up and placed the sunflowers on top. Without wasting any more time, he bowed deeply to the grave.

"I am the one that is truly sorry, Gilbert." He said quietly, then returned to his frozen homeland.

He would come again next year.

---AxM---

OMAKE:

Natalya had been following her brother all day. After his odd behavior at breakfast, she was worried that he was seeing someone.

"Whoever it is must be removed." She whispered to herself urgently. "My brother belongs to me!"

When he stopped at a florist's, she nearly had a heart attack. Natalya didn't want to believe it! It couldn't be true! He couldn't be buying sunflowers- his favorite flower!- for some… some… hussy!

She stalked him out of town, and over several hills.

"Where does this girl live anyway?!" Natalya huffed, but brightened as Ivan finally stopped in front of a large rock. "Is… this her home?"

Ivan placed the flowers tenderly in front of the rock, then turned to leave.

"Natalya!" He called, looking straight at her. "It's best not to disturb the dead, little sister! Let's go home!"

---AxM---

A/N: Yeah, I wanted to try it from Russia's POV.

Nothing else to say about it...