Chapter 3

A/N: Okay. I feel ridiculously guilty for not updating for months and months, especially because I have over 40 amazing followers who have stuck with me :) I AM SO SORRY. You probably hate me for having to wait all this time, and will hate me more because the story barely moves on in this chapter. It was gonna be longer, but I just had to post something before you gave up on me!

The next chapter should be very long because I am hoping for it to be the last one. It may take a while to write (sigh) because it will tie up all loose ends. What happened to the BTT will be in the epilogue. Thank you for all your reviews and favs and follows and everything! They make me so happy and I don't want to make you unhappy by not updating :( Please review this chapter and I'll hurry up and finish the story!

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He couldn't escape. His wrists were crushed by the heavy metals securing them. Unrelenting pain tore through his body. There was no end.

But then, he felt something different on his shoulder. Softer. It felt… safe. The eye of the storm. He slowly reached out for it, and somehow the chains restraining him were broken. The room and its horrors disappeared. The nightmare was gone. Baby blue eyes gazed at him, full of both concern and relief.

It was safe now.

Prussia threw his arms around his brother, gasping for breath. They sat in silence for a long time, relaxing in the comfort of each other's presence, before the albino whispered,
"What is wrong with me, West? I just… I don't know. I miss him."
"Someone you love has disappeared. It is perfectly acceptable for you to be upset. On the other hand, you are a soldier, and have been for centuries. You need to accept the loss and move on. " Germany said gently.

At this, Prussia turned away.
"This is different. Gilbird has been with me forever, and I'm just so used to him always being there for me, I don't know what to do anymore. No matter what happened, he was always beside me. After battles, after the wall was built; he was always the first thing I saw, and it gave me hope. Now that he's not here, I guess my mind has been wondering a bit, and, that hope is gone.
"Look at me, West. I've been banned from meetings, I've spent a week moping around because my oldest friend has vanished; I'm not even a country anymore! It's pathetic. I'm pathetic. I don't even know who I am anymore…"

Germany was shocked to hear such an outburst from his brother. He was ze Awesome Prussia! Surely one tiny bird couldn't be the only cause of this sudden change?

"Ever since I came home from Russia's house, I've also realised how few friends I actually have. I've always acted like I am really popular. I guess I told that lie so often that I started to believe it. Since he beat some sense into me, I've wanted to run away from the truth- that I'm completely useless."

Silence filled the room.

"Prussia, you are not useless." said Germany firmly.
'But what does Russia's house have to do with anything?' he thought. Prussia always refused to talk about it, so why bring it up now…?

Face strewn with tears, Prussia looked up at his little brother. Germany was the empire now, and although he would do anything for him, sometimes he wished that he could go back to the old days, when everything wasn't so complicated. When they could just fight battles and have fun together with Gilbird.
Gilbird. Prussia desperately wanted Gilbird back. He had no official duties as a country anymore. He now had no meeting to go to either. He was lonely. And the more he doubted himself, the more frequent the nightmares became. Having a close companion like Gil near him usually acted as a barrier to stop the dreams, however, with no Gilbird, painful memories flooded into his head every night. And they were making his life hell.
"You think he's gone forever?" he asked quietly.

'I hope not. If my brother is gone forever, I don't know what I'll do.' thought Germany, before he realised that Prussia had meant Gilbird.
Germany wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to tell Prussia that Gilbird would return soon, and that everything would be alright, but, could it? After so long? He loved his brother more than anything and just wanted him to go back to normal. Because even though he could be extremely irritating at times, that's what makes him who he is, and it was heart-breaking to see him crumbling into nothing.

"We are doing all we that can for him. We'll try our very best to find him." Germany said slowly.
Prussia managed a half-hearted smile. It was good to know that someone cared.

At that moment, the brothers were united. Gilbird would be found, and everything would go back to normal. But suddenly, out the corner of his eye, Germany caught a glimpse of something that shouldn't have been there – a tuft of blond hair. At the window one second, but gone the next.

That was when he realised it: they were being watched.

"Wait!" Prussia called out weakly, but the German had already dashed out of the room in pursuit of the intruder.

Abandoning his brother.

Leaving him all alone,
once again.

One more thing: If you enjoy my writing, I have posted a short story over on FictionPress: "My Revolution" by AwesomeOwl. Please check it out!