Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

Fezzes64: Arthur may make an appearance, I'm pretty sure I can squeeze him in somewhere. And that oneshot is almost done, I just need to edit and revise it, but school is getting in the way, *sigh.


Chapter 11: An Old Friend

Ludwig shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the old Volkswagen creaked and groaned, straining its way through the soaked and sodden streets of Berlin. Ludwig tried to shuffle to his left, away from his oddly happy looking boss, and looked outside. The rain streaked windows fogged up most of the view and all he saw has the occasional man running through the rain trying to seek shelter. He turned and faced his boss, Wilhelm Sturmer. The usually severe looking man faced forward with a small smirk in his face, "Do you know where we're going Ludwig?"

Ludwig scratched his head, "No not really sir, you never told me where we were going."

"Ah that's right. I usually love surprises, but sometimes I can't hold myself back,"

Ludwig blinked, "So, where exactly are we going?"

"To the courthouse." Sturmer replied dismissively.

Ludwig sighed and continued to stare out of the window. His mind soon wandered back to Feliciano. The hyperactive man seemed more subdued today, probably due to the fact that he cooked breakfast for both of them that morning, (which to Ludwig's surprise wasn't pasta), before rushing out in the rain without his umbrella, eager to get to work on time. Ludwig frowned, why was he thinking about Feli all the time. Does he want to be closer to him as a friend? What kind of connection is there between the two of them? Why does his stomach flutter when he brushes by him, why does he get along with him, even if they are complete opposites? Despite having little in common, the two can carry a conversation for hours, granted it was Feli doing most of the talking, but Ludwig didn't mind, he liked his voice.

"We're here?" Sturmer's voice broke through Ludwig's thoughts. Shaking his head he made his way out of the car and rushed into the building. He was so busy trying to take shelter from the rain he didn't notice the building he was entering.

Ludwig looked up and immediately recognized the building, his throat went dry,"Where are we?" his voice slightly strained.

"This is the Volksgerichtshof." He proudly declared.

The Volksgerichtshof, the People's Court. In that foreboding building, thousands of political opponents were accused of treason, espionage and defeatism before being summarily executed by the ruthless judge who rules these halls

Ludwig managed to control his reaction and mustered a calm and serene appearance for his boss. After all, there is no reason for an innocent man to be nervous in a place like this. And for his sake, his boss must think he is an innocent man, "I know that sir, but if I may ask, why are we here?"

Sturmer smiled, "Sometimes I like to take my assistants to little excursions."

Ludwig wasn't convinced. Though he kept a calm, his mind was in turmoil. He tried to rationalize this sudden trip and to the People's Court, 'Did he suspect me. Is he putting me here and having me arrested? This doesn't make any sense.' Ludwig sighed, 'maybe it's just a coincidence, but then again,' he glanced at his boss, merrily walking down the empty halls, 'one can never be too careful.'

The two walked in silence until they came upon the huge heavy oak doors that led into the room, a solder standing dutifully saluted, "Heil Hitler."

"Heil." Ludwig and Sturmer saluted in return.

The man opened the doors and led the two men inside. The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Dozens of Nazi soldiers, officials and ardent supporters mingled and cajoled amongst themselves, the heavy waft of cigar smoke permeated the air as some members shuffled to find their seats. The two eventually found their reserved seats closer to the front. It seems that Sturmer has some high connections to be able to grab a seat so close to the action.

As the two sat down, the doors leading into the room opened and a voice proclaimed, "All rise for the President, Roland Freisler." Chairs shuffled, creaked and groaned, dozens of bodies obediently stood up.

Four robed men walked into the centre of the room. Ludwig glanced at Friesler, the man was smallish and thin, with grey eyes, he had thick bushy eyebrows, with a receding grey matted hair. But what he lacks in appearance, he made up for his voice. He raised his right hand and loudly proclaimed, "Heil Hitler." Everyone saluted back.

"Please be seated and bring in the accused." He commanded and with a slight flair, he took his seat.

The man walked in. Ludwig froze.

"Roderich?" Ludwig's breath hitched. He recognized that face, those violet eyes and wavy brown hair, his simple glasses and most importantly, that pompous look on his face. The noble man walked up and faced the judges table, all looking at him with grave distrust, with Freisler giving him the hardest glare of all.

"Hello, Roderich Edelstein." Freisler practically spat out his name. Roderich merely closed his eyes and gave a small hmph.

"Let the trial begin."

Ludwig gulped. There was no doubt about it. The man taking the stand, the man accused of treasonous actions against the state was the same person he met all those years ago. He closed his eyes and thought back to his first encounter with the musician.


October 15, 1925

The sunlight filtered into Ludwig's room, illuminating the child sitting on his rocking chair reading his new favourite book, Peter Pan. He leafed through the pages, enthralled, his imagination came to life and transporting him into another world, another dimension. Ludwig flipped to the next page in deep anticipation of what the boy who wouldn't grow would do next.

"Hey Ludwig, guess what!" A voice interrupted Ludwig's thoughts. Cringing, Ludwig looked up only to see his brother lunge at him, excitement bubbling from his voice.

Ludwig closed the book and carefully placed it beside him, there was no point trying to read when his brother was here, "What?"

"You'll never guess who's in my class." Gilbert was practically bouncing up and down.

Ludwig sighed, this had better be good, "Who is it?"

"It's Roderich," Ludwig stared blankly at his brother, confused as to who this Roderich was. Seeing his brother's confusion Gilbert clarified himself, "You know, that prissy kid who moved in next door."

Now Ludwig remembered. The new kid moved in before school started so it shouldn't be a shock that he's in his class, "Don't you think it's mean to call him prissy?"

Gilbert grinned, "Nah, I'm just being honest. Honestly, he's about as fun as a wet noodle."

Ludwig was a bit exasperated. His brother just disturbed his reading time, and of all things it's about the kid next door, "Is that all?"

"Yep, that's all, well see ya later Luddy." Gilbert waved and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ludwig sighed; he'll get Gilbert back for this, one way or the other. He didn't even notice that he interrupted him. Oh yeah, he'll definitely get Gilbert back.

Instead of a usual prank, like gluing a chocolate bar on the floor and watching a confused Gilbert trying to lift it off the floor, he thought of a different idea. Ludwig smirked, getting up from his chair he picked up his coat and made his way to Roderich's house.

October 16, 1925

"I'm home." Gilbert called out. Sauntering through the front door, he turned to the dining room and gaped. The kid he's always poked fun at for being so uptight and prissy was sitting on the dining table sipping tea on his mother's finest china.

"Oh, hello Gilbert." Roderich greeted rather curtly.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Gilbert didn't mean to respond so bluntly, but he still cannot get over the shock of seeing him in his house.

"Gilbert, is that any way to treat our guest?" Gilbert's mother walked into the kitchen and gave Gilbert a disapproving glare.

"Our guest?" Gilbert questioned.

"Yes, Ludwig over here was so kind as to introduce and welcome me to your house." Roderich gestured to his little brother, lying down on the carpet busily reading his book. Gilbert glared at Ludwig. Ludwig smiled.

The tension in the air was palpable; Roderich merely continued to sip his tea, while Gilbert glared at the Austrian boy.

Sensing the tense atmosphere Gil's mother suggested, "Why don't you go outside and play?"

Gilbert grumbled, "Fine." He turned to the Austrian, "hey prissy boy, are you coming?"

His mother blanched. Roderich shook it off and followed Gilbert outside. The cool crisp autumn air greeted the two boys. The leaves rustled and the branches swayed to the light winds. The afternoon Sun shone on the two boys as they sat on the steps of the front porch. The two sat quietly, a painfully awkward silence settled between the two of them before Gilbert tried to start a conversation, "So...what do you like?"

Roderich glanced at Gilbert, "I usually dabble in classical music, preferably by Haydn, Schubert or Mozart."

Gilbert stared, he didn't know who any of those people were, "Oh, that sounds...boring." He admitted, try as he might, he just cannot lie to his face and fake interest over something like classical music.

"What about you, any hobbies?" This time Roderich tried initiating the conversation.

Gilbert grinned, "Being awesome."

Roderich frowned, "That's not a hobby."

Gilbert's mouth split into a smile, "It is to me." Roderich gave a small hmph. The two sat and talked. It turns out that Roderich wasn't the goody two shoes nobleman that Gilbert thought he was. And Gilbert wasn't as arrogant and vain as Roderich first thought he was. The two talked until the Sun began to set. Realizing it was getting late Gilbert stood up, "There's nothing to do here, wanna go back inside, I'll show you my majestic room?"

Roderich shrugged, "Why not."

The two walked back into the house, climbed their creaky stairs and entered Gilbert's room.

"And this is my awesome room." Gilbert smiled and opened his door with a flair for the grandiose.

Roderich stared; there was an awful lot of Prussian paraphernalia scattered around. Flags, and emblems intermingled with his toys and clothes scattered all over the floor and his bed. The room was painted a creamy white with the black Prussian eagle adorning the centre of the room. Roderich's eyes wandered around until he spotted something sticking out from a pile of toys in the corner. He smirked, "Is that a stuffed bunny?"

Gilbert blushed, but quickly covered it up and smirked, "No, that's probably my brother's."

Roderich doubted it. He picked up the pink bunny and started inspecting it. Then, he found the tag near the bunny's foot, "Oh really, because it says that this is the 'Property of Gilbert Beilschmidt.'"

Gilbert choked, Roderich smirked, "gotcha."

Gilbert stared at Roderich for a moment before leaping in the air, "Give him back." The two leapt and wrestled on the floor, Roderich trying to keep Gilbert's precious bunny from him while simultaneously trying to goad a confession from Gilbert that he kept a small pink bunny in his room. The Austrian gave Gilbert a good run for his money but in the end Gilbert managed to wrestle the toy away from him. The two stood up and dusted themselves off. Gilbert turned to the other boy," So, you're not as girly as you look after all."

Roderich merely smiled, "And you're not as awesome as...well, you're just not awesome."

Gilbert smirked, from that one encounter he had a feeling the two would be friends from that day on. What the pair didn't notice was the ever attentive Ludwig spying at them through a crack of Gilbert's door. Noting Gilbert's stuffed bunny he walked away and left the two to their own devices.


Ludwig opened his eyes. He was pulled back into the courtroom, his attempts at escapism by ruminating about the past failed, and now he faced the reality that his brother's friend was staring death, in the form of a corrupt and choleric judge in the face.

"So, are you Roderich Edelstein?" Freisler questioned him harshly. Roderich turned his head up and to the best of his ability tried to convey an attitude of disdain.

"Are you daft boy, answer me?" He yelled out. His voice reverberated in the room, its curious attendants gazed at the process waiting with bated breath for a response from the Austrian man.

"If you're gonna stand there and be a prissy boy, then stand there. It doesn't change the fact that you are accused of grave treasonous actions, against the state, against the people, and against the Fuhrer himself."

Roderich remained silent. Freisler again attempted to goad a response from him, "You are a sorry excuse of a man, stand up straight."

Proceeding with the trial, Freisler picked up a piece of paper and held his reading glasses close to his face, "This court has charged you for distributing seditious flyers around Berlin, poisoning the minds of your fellow Germans, corroborating with Bolsheviks, the capitalists and international Jewry, and hiding the traitor Elizabeta Hedevary who is wanted in Hungary on charges of treason and espionage."

Ludwig's breath hitched. Elizabeta. Elizabeta Hedevary. The same kid they went to school with? Ludwig's thoughts were a mess. He tried to remember the first time they met, back all those years ago.


June 12, 1929

Ludwig ate silently, while his brother sat beside him waiting for his best friend, Roderich. It's been years and many expected that the two who were polar opposites would fall apart, but somehow the two learned to tolerate and then get along with each other.

After a few minutes the aforementioned man arrived and sat beside Gilbert. Roderich glanced to his left; a mischievous glint on Gilbert's eye caught his attention, "What are you up to Gilbert?"

"Did you see that new girl?" Gilbert pointed to a girl sitting on a bench with a few of her friends. She has long flowing brown hair, and bright green eyes. And two flowers in the side of her head. She looked amicable and friendly, laughing and giggling away.

"Elizabeta?" Roderich questioned.

"Yeah, she's a real doozy isn't she, I mean look at the way she's dressed." Gilbert pointed. While Elizabeta was a girl, she has the knack of dressing very manly, sometimes wearing pants and a dress shirt.

"It's rude to talk to a lady behind her back Gilbert." Roderich admonished.

"Lady? Dude, she looks like she can kill you with a frying pan."

"That is beside the point."

Gilbert glanced suspiciously at his friend, "What do you mean that's beside the..." He paused, his eyes lit up playfully, "Oh I get it, you like her don't you?"

Roderich blushed, but grumbled out, "That is irrelevant, I am simply coming to the defence of a lady who's been slighted by your accusations."

Gilbert laughed, "Sure, whatever you say Roddy."

It took a bit of time, but the trio eventually became acquainted with each other and began hanging out as a group. Roderich soon found out that Gilbert's assertion that she could kill you with a frying pan wasn't far from the truth when she smacked a boy in the face for being too forward with her. But Roderich can't help but fall for her. And it maddened him. How could a virtuoso with the propensity for the arts fall for the slightly tomboyish yet cutely affectionate girl like Elizabeta. Roderich tried to shrug it off and ignore it, unless he wants Gilbert to catch onto his feelings. Roderich groaned; he'd never hear the end of it.

April 17, 1931

Gilbert came up behind Roderich and swung his arms around his shoulders, "So, are you gonna ask her out?"

Roderich gave a slight hmph, "That's none of your business."

"kesese, of course it is. Besides, when was the last time you dated a girl?"

Roderich flushed, he'd be damned if he admitted that he never dated anyone before, especially not in front of Gilbert.

Gilbert continued, "we need to get you and Elizabeta together."

Roderich growled, he did not need this right now, "Stay out of this, Gilbert." His voice was sharp and commanding, but he doubted the Prussian would take the hint.

"Will do." Gilbert called out and walked away. Roderich debated whether to follow him or not, but shrugged it off. He had a recital to practice for and he didn't need Gilbert shenanigans to distract him.

Gilbert ambled away from his friend and started looking for Elizabeta. He knows that Roderich wants him to stay out of it, but he's never one for instructions or rules for that matter, "Hey Liza."

Elizabeta turned and waved back, "Oh hi Gil."

Gilbert grabbed her arm and tugged her eagerly, "Come with me."

"What are you up to?" Elizabeta was naturally suspicious. Given his track record of rambunctious and somewhat illegal activities, it didn't hurt to deviate to the side of caution.

"Just come." Gilbert insisted.

"Alright, but if this is some joke," Elizabeta warned.

"Relax; it's nothing of the sort."

Gilbert smirked as he spotted his friend sitting on a park bench practicing for a recital of some sort. The man's concentration was interrupted when he realized he had company. He turned his head, and to his surprise he saw Elizabeta.

"G-Gil, what are you doing." Roderich stuttered.

Gilbert introduced the two, "Elizabeta, Roderich. Roderich, Elizabeta."

Elizabeta smiled, "I know who Roderich is Gilbert."

Gilbert grinned, "Well I bet you never knew that Roderich has a crush on you."

"Gilbert Beilschmidt!" Roderich looked absolutely mortified that his friend would go babbling his love life away like it was nothing.

Without missing a beat he continued, "And that Liza here has a crush on you, Roddy."

Roderich's heard enough, "That is enough; I can't believe that you would interfere so blatantly when I specifically told you not to..." Roderich paused. Gilbert's words proceeded in his head and clicked, his eyes went wide and turned to Elizabeta, "Wait, did you say, you like me?"

Elizabeta looked nervous, "Um, yeah.

"For how long?" Roderich asked

"For a while now." Elizabeta admitted, "So, if you don't mind, we can get together sometime."

"L-like a date?" Roderich stuttered he can't believe it; the girl he's been pining over the past two years likes him back.

"Um sure." Elizabeta blushed.

Gilbert clapped his hands, "My job here is done."


Ludwig's always wondered how his brother set them up, but every time he brings it up he just smirks and says something along the lines of, "I'm just naturally awesome," or "Matchmaking skills are in my blood."

Ludwig looked up. Friesler still glared at the silent musician, while Roderich stood muted and stared at the table of judges.

"Well, do you have anything to say to such accusations? Or are you the bloody traitor everyone here knows you are?" Freisler snapped.

Finally, Roderich lifts his head, "I know what you have accused me of..."

"Then did you do all those things or not? Answer me!" Freisler practically leapt from his seat, eager to eviscerate his victim.

"I did. And if I had the chance, I will do them all over again."


Historical Notes:

Volksgerichtshof: The People's Court. It handles all political crimes against the regime. It was a kangaroo court. Appearing in it is an almost guaranteed death sentence, over 90% of the people who appear end up getting the death penalty.

Roland Freisler: Known as Hitler's Blood Judge, he's known for his show trials in WWII in the People's Court, his violent attitude and his predisposition to verbally abuse the accused. He's best known for presiding over the trial of members of the White Rose Movement and the July 20 plot to kill Hitler. There are videos of his trials in YouTube if you're interested.

Ages: 1925 Gilbert and Roderich (11), Ludwig (7). 1929 Gilbert and Roderich: (15) Ludwig (11). 1931 Gilbert, Roderich and Elizabeta (17) Ludwig (13)

The trial was supposed to be one chapter but then I realized it would be too long, so I split it in two parts.

Also the story may not make any sense right now, and this scene may seem like filler, but trust me; there is a method to my madness.

Thanks for all the support, remember to read and review.