CV: Hello! So sorry this chapter took forever to post; I'm afraid that's my fault. It took me over a month to write my half. Ugh, I know, disgraceful. I'll try not to do it again, but, with school in full swing, I will not promise such a thing. Hopefully, it will not be over a month again though. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and sticking with this story; we really appreciate it! See ya next time!
GDS: Well! Same thing goes for me! I will not be able to write that much also because school is burying me with works! I have a lot of tests to study for in just one month! But don't worry, we will not abandon this story!
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Disclaimer: We don't own Hetalia
Chapter 4: Decisions
"Stay here for a while. I'll be back soon; I just need to attend on certain matters right now."
As if someone like Gilbert, the former nation of Prussia, would listen to that Austrian. He might be in an emotional turmoil right now but it did not mean he was not in the right mind to start his rebellious attitude. And adding to the things he wanted to complain, why was this building where he was being held did not have any guards or maids or simply anyone? For the past hour he was walking around he did not meet any other living being. He didn't even saw a tiny mouse!
On top of it, he was clearly lost.
Grumbling about his current misfortunes he turned around another corner. He just didn't expect what he saw. For the person right in front of him, wearing such a sickening sweet feminine smile, was this world's version of Hungary. From Gilbert's meeting with the Italy brothers and Austria, he now kept in mind that everyone in this world was the opposite from the one he came from.
And what an accurate theory that was.
The Hungary in front of him was not the tomboy he knew. Not at all. This woman before him was wearing a frilly pink dress that even Lizzy would not wear such a thing for it would reduce her chances of mobility (and chasing after Gilbert).
"Hello! My name is Erzsébet Héderváry, also known as Hungary! You can call me Erzsébet if you want!" she placed both of her hands behind, body bent forward a bit, and her head was tilted to the side as she introduced herself. Her hair tied in a high ponytail swayed from her actions.
"Er…Um…" Gilbert could not deal with girls! The only reason he was close to Elizabeta was because he grew up with her knowing that she was a he! And when Gilbert realized the truth it was too late for his mind to start treating Elizabeta as a girl in some degree.
"Oh! Are you shy? You're just like Klaus!" Erzsébet clapped her hands together in glee.
"No! I'm just…I…My name is Gilbert Beilscmidt!"
"Excellent! Nice to meet you!"
So far this version of Hungary was not showing any signs of hostility. But then from what he learned so far, the people in this world could change their attitude in just a drop of pin. He was thinking of possible escapes that he did not realize that she approached him not until his stomach decided to make its presence known.
Gilbert was startled from the noise he made and blushed in embarrassment. Hungary, in the middle of getting near to the other Prussia, blinked in surprise before breaking in a wild smile and started jumping from where she stood.
"You're hungry? Why didn't you say so? Come! Come follow me, I'll cook something for you!"
He didn't even have a choice in the matter for she grabbed him right wrist and started dragging him to whatever place she had in mind. Now he was thinking if he should have waited for Roland in his room just like what he was told so from the start.
So far Erzsébet was proving to be a good company. For the time they both spend in the kitchen all she did after cooking for him was to chat. She asked what kind of world Gilbert lived in, about his history, his friends and family and honestly, just everything that related to Gilbert. She listened to him with rapt attention and laughed at the right moments and frown in some. If necessary, she would start commenting about how horrible people had been on him.
"Hey, how come you don't hate me?" Gilbert was really freaked out by how this woman was being too friendly to him. Especially if that person had the same face as the Hungary he grew up with.
"What do you mean?" Erzsébet blinked in surprise from the question thrown at her.
"Well…the Italians said—" he didn't manage to finish his sentence when Erzsébet started laughing. Like a proper lady also which was weird for Gilbert.
"Oh, if I were you, I will not believe half of what those two says."
"Huh?"
Erzsébet leaned on the table. Her hands cradling her own cheeks, "Luciano…well, to put it simply, he is a child that likes to pick fights but useless once the battle got real." She started twirling her hair that was a lighter shade of brown compared to Elizabeta, around her fingers, "Flavio sometimes just wants to indulge his little brother's antics. Some of us could care less if you are here."
"Woman, that was harsh." Gilbert put a hand above his chest in mock hurt making Erzsébet giggled towards his actions.
"To be honest I was planning to kill you once I saw you."
"You said you don't hate me!"
"But then I saw your eyes." Erzsébet continued like she was just stating the weather.
At this Gilbert was dumbfounded. His eyes? For all his life his eye color brought him nothing but misfortune. Was this world that twisted that all his bad luck caused by his albinism was turning into good ones?
In Erzsébet's case she was really intending to kill the Prussia they had kidnapped. For her it was unfair. Everything was unfair no matter which angle she looked at on their situation. It was unfair that their Klaus died. She and Klaus were really good friends. That was as long as Roland was not there to ruin their time together. The only reason why Erzsébet had enough patience dealing with Roland was due to practice that she mastered during their Empire days where they had no choice but to be in presence of one another.
It was unfair that their counterpart still had their own living Prussia and not being squashed by heavy guilt.
It was unfair for Gilbert because despite surviving his dissolution no one appreciates him. It was also unfair for him to be in the 2P world as a replacement for Klaus' presence. So to save Gilbert from so many heartaches to come she decided to finish him.
But her plan changed the moment she took a look at those crimson eyes of his. It was a different shade from the ones she used to see but it still spoke the same volumes of sorrows and heartaches.
Klaus' always show how he felt about something that was why everyone knew whenever their Prussia started to wallow in his bouts of depression. Roland would start making funny dances just to cheer up his best friend. Erzsébet would bake a lot of sweets that could give someone a toothache. Lutz would start singing so loud Klaus would have no choice but to acknowledge the situation before him, when this happened his Lutz would always pester his brother to join him. Luciano and Flavio were really closed to Klaus so and they did not like to see the albino sad, so they would always asked him to join them in their pranks against other countries. But then this would always change when the decisions of their people started to affect their friendly relationships. Erzsébet could still remember Klaus' face painted with betrayal during the Seven Years of War.
Gilbert on the other hand stayed as strong as he could. He stood on his own two feet and did not made any deep connections with other countries. The only people Gilbert trusted with all his heart was his precious King, Holy Roman Empire, and his Little Brother Germany. Gilbert hid all his pains and wore a mask of arrogance. He never allowed others to see who he really was. This was the reason why most of the countries of his world saw him as a villain to be subdued.
No one really saw Gilbert at his worst moments. No one saw him crying his heart out whenever someone close to him died. No one saw him when his mind started crumbling to pieces. No one heard his screams when he was officially dissolved.
Erzsébet saw all of these from Gilbert's crimson eyes. She was also sure that the others saw it too. Maybe this was one of the reasons why Lutz agreed to Roland. Their Germany wanted to make things right for Prussia.
If Gilbert would stay under their care then he would never had to continue wearing his mask. Erzsébet would make sure that Gilbert would be happy with them from now on.
She just needed to drill some lessons inside the Italian Brothers' heads.
"So! I like your eyes and decided that I should keep you alive!" she lamely explained. She did not want to spill all the dramas in one go right now.
"I'm not some kind of pet or a doll!"
"GIIILLLLBBBEEERRRTTT!" the scream was heard after Gilbert made his exclamation. It was so loud that he would never admit that he jumped a bit in surprise. Erzsébet on the other hand and muttered under her breath some chosen Hungarian curses.
"Gilbert!" the door was slammed open with so much forced that it left cracks on the walls. From there they saw a disheveled Roland who was panting in an attempt to catch his breath. It seemed like the Austrian was running all the way from where he came from, "You!" Roland pointed at Erzsébet, "What the hell do you think you are doing to my Precious Gilbert, you demon!"
"What did you call me?!"
"I'm not your 'Precious'! This is not Lord of the Rings!"
But Gilbert's protest had fallen in deaf ears because Roland and Erzsébet started arguing. It was a sight that he would never be accustomed in seeing. Really, it was weird to see someone who looked like Roderich and Elizaveta arguing, especially when those two were now fighting with their hands. Erzsébet was attempting to choke Roland while the other was trying to grab a fistful of her hair to pull.
The situation was really awkward for Gilbert. He did not know what to do right now. Should he stay or flee while the two were distracted?
Well, someone made the decision for him when he heard someone trying to get his attention. Looking back on the door he saw a copy of Germany and Japan. The two were hiding but motioned for him to join them. Tiptoeing away from the fight, Gilbert managed to get out of the room and run along with 'Japan' and 'Germany'. When they were a safe distance away 'Japan' suddenly broke out in a fitful of laughter.
"I-I can't really get used in seeing those two lose their composure whenever they see one another! Ahahaha! They are so hilarious to watch!" Gilbert feared that the counterpart of Japan would die through lost of air because of laughter.
"Kuro, stop laughing already."
"Why? I'll do what I want to do!"
"And you started acting like a child again."
"Lutz! I'm just joining you because I want to piss off Luciano but if you will be such a bastard then I will just have this 'Prussia' all on my own!" Kuro, as what he heard Germany's counterpart called the Japanese man, latched on Gilbert's right arm and puffed his cheeks like a squirrel stocking foods for winter.
"I don't have time to deal with your childish actions, Kuro."
"Hmmph!" Kuro just tightened his grip on Gilbert's arm.
"Can anyone explain to the awesome me what is happening right now?!"
"Oh! That's easy!" Kuro finally released his captive, "My name is Kuro Honda! I'm this world's Japan! I will be your ally because I want to piss of Luciano!"
"I'm Lutz Beilschmidt, I'm this world's Germany. I'm also the younger brother of this world's Prussia."
"Yeah, I get most of what you said. But what's with this 'ally' business that this guy," he pointed towards Kuro, "keeps talking about?"
"Well! Of course you will be needing people that will protect you! After all," Kuro clapped his hands and showed his sadistic smile on his face, "Luciano and Flavio wants you dead. As someone who hates the Italian Brothers it's my duty to foil their plans!"
Just what kind of mess Gilbert got himself into? And to think that this was a trouble he didn't initiate in the first place!
*Two hours before*
Roland held Luciano's dark eyes with his own, refusing to let his fear shine through. His emotions were mixed in a hurricane-like swirl in his stomach at the moment but the only one he let show on his face was the pure rage the Italian had invoked in him. Luciano would not lay a finger on Prussia. Over his dead body. Over his fallen and ruined nation.
But what Luciano had said had made sense in some stupid way that Roland had overlooked which angered him even more. Of course not everyone would jump on the bandwagon when he had come out of seclusion to pitch his (what the other nations might have called) absurd plan. Why had Luciano and Flavio and the other nations who had been standing at the door agreed at first if they weren't going to go through with it? Was it to torture the 1P world? Was it to torture Gilbert, the only living Prussia in any and all other universes they knew of? Was it to torture Roland himself for shutting himself away for all of these years?
Roland didn't know the motivations behind these nations' cruel eyes but he found didn't fucking care. They had said they were going to hurt Prussia. Hell, they already had hurt him. They were going to pay for that.
"I will rip you limb from bloody limb for this." Roland threatened through bared teeth, skin pressing against the knife at his throat as he spoke, "You will never hurt him again."
Luciano's sneer sickened Roland. He smiled as if he had already won. He had no idea. "I guess we'll see about that. Nice dreams, Austria."
And with those words, Luciano drew his knife deeper, slicing the sensitive skin below his jaw until Roland could see no more. The pain that had erupted from the cut was blinding. His neck was now wet and warm, but he could not see it. Only darkness surrounded him as he heard Luciano depart with dark laughter.
And they say I'm cliche. Was his last thought before he blacked out.
-/-
When Roland woke he was in a panic. A simple slit throat wasn't much to a nation, yet he had been asleep and healing for over an hour. Who knows what Luciano could have done in that time.
So Roland bolted. He didn't stop until he had searched everywhere, finally finding Gilbert in the kitchen, in the company of an individual he despised. He knew the she-demon must have been in cahoots with the Italians. She would do anything to get under his skin! So immediately he had aimed to take her out. It wasn't all that odd; anytime he saw Erzsébet it was exactly what he did. Or, if she saw him first, what she did. They couldn't see each other without fighting.
Then Roland noticed Gilbert sneaking away. Good. He thought. He can get away somewhere to safety. As long as he doesn't run into the Italians or-
His thoughts cut off precisely then. It was when he saw who Gilbert was speaking to that Erzsébet punched him in the gut, sending him across the room. Now all that lay in his field of vision was a light brown ponytail, bouncing behind the fair face of someone who did not look at all happy to see him. Oh right, that was Erzsébet. Sigh. He really didn't have time for this now that he saw his Prussia in even more trouble.
He smacked Erzsébet away as she lunged towards him again, a new vigor in his strength as another layer of protection coated his actions. He rushed over to the three right outside the kitchen door, readying himself to send the two near Gilbert away with force when Gilbert stepped between them.
"Yo, Roland! Watch out; you almost hurled straight into Lutz and Kuro!" Gilbert held his hands up as Roland continued to watch the smug face of Kuro and the blank one of Lutz behind him.
"They are going to hurt you, Gilbert. They are working with Luciano and Flavio!" Roland attempted to sidestep around Gilbert but the other stepped with him, refusing to let Roland through.
"Hahaha!" The loud laughter of Japan interrupted him, "Work with Luciano? As if!"
"Don't play innocent, Kuro!" Roland spat, still attempting (and failing) to get to the two nations behind Prussia, "I saw you two with Flavio at the door before Luciano slit my throat!"
Gilbert's eyes widened, noticing the bloody line along Roland's throat for the first time. "Wait. Wh-" But before he could finish Kuro was yelling at Roland again.
"I don't work with Luciano, Roland! Yeah, sure, I didn't stop him from slicing your damn throat; who the fuck cares if you get a little scar for a month or two?" Kuro said, "Like hell if I'm going to let him have the satisfaction of hurting this guy, though. I've never been 'buddy-buddy' with Prussia, Klaus or Gilbert, but if it means pissing Luciano off then I'd rather be on his side." Kuro pointed a thumb towards Gilbert, indicating whose side he was referring to.
Roland still wasn't convinced, settling in a fighting stance, but he turned to Lutz instead. "And you?"
Lutz looked up. "Well, Prussia's my brother. I should protect him."
"And Luciano? The last time I checked, that guy was your best friend." Roland pointed out. "Are you really going against him?"
Lutz nodded. "If it means protecting my brother."
A silence settled over the group. Roland eyed the two warily, Kuro sneered a little in his direction, and Lutz remained emotionless. Then Gilbert spoke up.
"Um, not to burst anyone's bubble, but I'm not actually your Prussia." When he made eye-contact with Roland though, he clarified by turning to Lutz, "I'm not actually your brother, I mean."
"You are my brother." Lutz said simply, "Just the same person from a different reality."
Roland noticed Gilbert smile a bit and remembered seeing through the mirror into the 1P world how much Gilbert cared about his little brother. It made him think for a second. What if he doesn't even want to stay? What if he wants to go back to his world with the people he loves only to continue feeling unloved?
Roland couldn't allow that to happen.
"Besides," Lutz spoke up again, "Luciano is only feeling hurt right now. He would never forgive himself if he did end up hurting Prussia."
"Well, we can't really wait for little Luci's temper tantrum to subside, now can we? Gilbert's life is at stake!" Roland spoke fire in his words, angry that Lutz would still defend Luciano after attacking Gilbert.
"The point is," Kuro spoke up, giving Lutz an evil-eye too, but slightly more annoyed than anything as if he had been putting up with this for a while, "We're protecting Prussia just like you."
"So," Gilbert spoke up, addressing everyone there, "We've got five people on the awesome Team Gilbert and at least two against it right now. Do we know anyone else who might want to cut off my head or want to help keep it attached because either information is probably useful at the moment."
"Five?" Roland asked, counting the people in the group at the moment. Gilbert, Kuro, Lutz, himself. That was four. "Who's the fifth?"
"Erzsébet." Gilbert said simply, gesturing to the door that led back into the kitchen.
"Oh." Roland said with a frown on his face. He wasn't so sure about that but… "Everyone else is in the 1P world as we speak, so, no, we do not have anyone else to worry about."
Gilbert's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You mean my world? What are they all doing there?"
Roland realized that telling Gilbert that he had sent many of the 2P world's most blood thirsty nations into his world to hunt down a good few of the countries there might not have been a good conversation at the moment. Luckily (or very unlikely), that was when Erzsébet attacked Roland again with a screech of, "I wasn't done with you!"
After being tackled and sent to the floor, Roland looked up into Gilbert's baffled and slightly amused eyes and said, "If you'd excuse me; it seems I have something to take care of first." Then he sprang to his feet and continued his fight with the she-demon.
Luciano still examined his blood drenched knife. Roland must have awoken by now, frantically searching for his precious Gilbert. That damn 1P, knockoff version of Prussia. What had it been that James had called him? Oh yeah, Roland's Princess.
Well that Princess was safe for now. He wouldn't be for long, though. Who did Roland think he was for bringing him here? For proposing such a thing? Who was this Gilbert to even pretend to be Prussia? He wasn't and never would be Prussia even if he technically was from another universe. He could never replace Klaus.
Roland thought he was the only one who was ever close to Klaus. The selfish bastard. Luciano and Flavio had known Klaus before Roland had ever started pretending to be his knight in shining armor. They had been close to Klaus when they were small children and Klaus had visited them at Roland's estate. In those days Roland had barely noticed him. It was only as Klaus visited the Italian brothers and his little brother, Holy Rome, more and more that Roland had finally begun to notice him.
Roland had had nothing more than an obsession for protecting Klaus and now that Klaus was gone he thought he could simply be replaced with this other version of him. A cheap version of him. And he'd had the entire conference of nations wrapped around his finger at the prospect of quenching their guilt with protecting this new Prussia. He could be the knight in shining armor again and everyone else could have their redemption in bringing tyranny to those who had left this other Prussia feeling unloved.
And, like a fool, Luciano had agreed with them. Anything. Luciano would have done anything to have Prussia back. He had wanted his guilt to leave him. He had wanted his friend back. He had wanted to see the face of the person who had made many of his years worthwhile and whom he had ignored for many other years simply because he was jealous he had spent all of his time with Roland instead. But it wasn't just Prussia Luciano had wanted back. He had realized this only too late. Only when they had already taken Gilbert and it couldn't be undone. No, Luciano wanted Klaus back.
His guilt would never fade and his friend would never return, but he could do this at least. He could hurt the imposter who dared try to take his place. He could hurt Roland for taking his friend and after even all that time, for trying to replace him.
Luciano gazed over his knife and across the room. His brother lounged in a high back chair as he slept. He would be pissed when he woke up having a crick in his neck and creases in his clothes. Luciano wouldn't wake him just for that. Instead, he remembered the day Prussia had officially dissolved. His brother had fallen asleep in his clothes after that meeting. Sleep was always Flavio's way of coping with things. This was another reason Luciano envied his brother. He wished he had it that easy.
Instead he had bandaged his hand which he had gripped so tightly during the dissolution that blood had flowed from where his nails had bit into skin. He had watched indifferently and returned home the same as any other day. He had rolled his eyes at his brother's bawling and retreated into his room to stare blankly at his desk for the remainder of the day. Only when it had grown dark outside had he remembered to go bandage his hand. And after that he had thought that he had might as well go see if his useless brother was stilling crying his heart out.
That was when he had found his brother curled up on one of the armchairs in their family room, hair disheveled, clothing creased, neck lolled to the side, and mouth hanging open. Luciano had almost grinned at the sight, imagining what his brother's reaction would be in the morning. He didn't though. Instead Luciano started a fire in the fireplace next to that chair and took a seat on the sofa on the other side of the hearth.
He laid down, positioning himself to have a much better sleep than his brother. In the end, Luciano knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, though.
Luciano blinked back into the present, eyes still trained on his brother. That night he had gotten sleep. He hadn't even realized how tired he had been. In the morning he was in even more a bad mood than his brother. That was surely saying something when Flavio had woken up to an aching neck, a dry mouth, messy hair and clothes, and the renewed realization that Klaus was gone. For Luciano that last fact was all that did it for him.
He felt guilt and pain and loss and and and… Luciano had wanted his heart to numb like it had on so many other occasions. He didn't want to feel anything. He would trade it all for the emptiness he'd had before the dissolution.
But the pain wouldn't go away and the guilt wouldn't stop reminding him of how he had treated Klaus over the years. Instead he had channeled his pain into hatred toward one person, the one person he felt deserved it the most. And now he could think of no other he could have picked better for his hatred.
Luciano burned with hatred towards Roland. He had since the dissolution. He had even before then. He had hated Roland since he had met him. He had hated him when he had taken his friend from him. Now there was only one thing to do left.
Luciano was going to hurt Roland's Princess until his shining armor rusted and he finally understood what it was like to lose someone he cared for.
Because losing Klaus sure as hell hadn't taught him that lesson.
