Under his hand, Russia felt the smaller nation jump slightly at Austria's voice. He wasn't any more aware of his surroundings than when Russia had taken the seat at his left, before the meeting began. He tried to convey this to Austria, but he was not looking at him.

A few more steps brought him to Gilbert's elbow, and he laid a hand on his shoulder just as Russia moved his arm to around Prussia's back. Their gazes met like flint and steel, and the sparks were sudden and flashing.

"...Roddie?"

He'd turned his head to the right, and his bleary eyes were looking at Austria as if he was a figure from his dreams.

Frederick, the other nation thought wildly, and in that second his mouth ran away with his unconscious.

"Do you miss them?"

Russia made to pull Gilbert to his chest, but Austria intercepted this by pulling Gilbert's shoulder back, making his head loll backwards for a moment before he caught himself.

"What... do you mean?" The look in Gilbert's eyes wasn't exactly asleep anymore, but neither was it very coherent. Still, Austria plowed on.

"Do you regret--" No, that wasn't it, "Do you miss Frederick? Your king?"

He tried to remember, what they were in the times before, how he acted when they were on the battlefield, and all Austria could see was Prussia, a smirk on his face, and a young King's smile over his shoulder.

"I know who he is-- what the hell are you saying?" Not asleep, but not aware as well-- what was going on? What was Austria saying? What was happening? In Gilbert's mind, there was the smell of tea, and a succession of notes.

"Avstriya, that is quite enough, da." Russia was on his feet now, and his hand had moved to Gilbert's other shoulder. Austria shot him a venomous glare, which he returned with a colder look.

"Shut up, Braginsky." he returned his gaze to Prussia, upon whom confusion and desperation seemed to alight.

"What are you..."

"Damn it, Bieldschmidt, answer my question!"

"Avstriya!" Russia was moving towards him, his hand leaving Gilbert's shoulder. There was a cold fury in his eyes, and once again Austria felt sure that they shared the same expression.

"Stay out of this, Braginsky." he spat, as the larger nation grabbed his collar and glared at him directly.

Gilbert was feeling more and more lost than ever. This was much, much worse than his dreams, than that time he heard Old Fritz calling his name-

"Prussia, am I dead?"

"I don't-- I--" Frederick, Fritz, his father, the King, his Kings, the palace... It was getting so difficult to breathe, and his lungs hitched painfully after the sparse syllables he'd barely spoken.

"I am warning you, Avstriya, if you don't--"

"Do you want to be with them, is that what you dream of?" Russia's grip was tightening, but Austria managed to aim a kick that made the other nation drop him to avoid the contact. He used this chance to shove Russia to the floor, after which he spun the chair Gilbert sat upon around so that they were face to face. With his eyes and his hands he pinned him, and a part of him will remember the terror-stricken look on Gilbert's face much later, when it is far too late.

The Black Eagle, 'To each his own', the flute, the flute he'd made for his birthday, his father

"N--no... I mean... you... I..."

"Will this last forever, Gilbert?"

"Well?" Austria pressed, as Russia got to his feet and attempted to pry him off the trembling nation. This time it was Austria who got shoved to the floor, but this did not faze him at all, and as Russia's fist began its descent on him, he raised an arm and yelled out, "Yes or no, Bieldschmidt! Just answer, yes or no!"

The blow connected, and Austria grunted in pain before pulling Russia's scarf and throwing a punch of his own at the nation. Russia's head snapped to the side at the force of the blow, but he recovered just as quickly to smirk at Austria, as if to say, do you think that would be enough?

Before either nation could pull back their fists for a second time, Gilbert screeched, "Stop it!!!"

Russia got off the other nation in a hurry, coming to Gilbert's side in one step, his hands rubbing the other's shoulders, trying in vain to calm him down. Austria stared and the fog that developed in his mind since early in the morning began to lift as he saw tears running down the Prussian's cheeks.

His eyes were wide, and they saw nothing-- at least, nothing in this world.

"I--"

"Loyalty, to my King, and the World for the taking."

"I--"

"It's a boy, Gilbert, it's a boy!"

"I can't--"

"Are you sure about this? He doesn't look like he'd take to battle that easily..."

"Fritz-- an--"

--a kiss to his hand, "Fealty," to his cheek, "Adoration," to his forehead, "Care," to his lips, "Love,"--

"I--..."

"For the glory of Prussia!"

"...Prussia..."

The word fell from his lips, and he slumped forward into Russia's arms. Something like frozen dread crept up Austria's spine, and suddenly, the air didn't seem quite enough for his lungs. His mind had blanked, and the wrongness of the whole scene paralyzed him completely.

"Prussia? Prussia, little one, answer me..."

There were footsteps, and the door creaked open--

"Brother!"

Austria stood up and ran past Germany, throwing open the doors and crashing against the nations in the hallway. He had to get away, far, far away where there were no chirping (there was no chirping), no proclamations of 'awesomeness' (there were no proclamations), and definitely no Prussia (but Prussia doesn't exist anymore, Roderich).

He froze, a few paces away from the glass doors.

(Prussia doesn't exist anymore Roderich)

(He doesn't he doesn't he doesn't EXIST)

(HE DOESN'T EXIST)

(HE'S DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD LIKE HIS KING)

He could hear Elizaveta calling his name, the curious murmurs from the other nations, the questions, the footsteps, but most of all he could hear

(so why don't you let me have him Roddie?)

Prussia's screams.

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caesura

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Author's Notes: I lied. This is not a double update. Just one chapter, but it's an important chapter nonetheless! :) On other news, summer has arrived and my goal is to write a fic a day. I'm trying to finish my first RaTs table, so in 2 weeks there will be yet another update. This might be the proper schedule of updating for TGN, though if time permits, double updates will be done.

To whatthehellwasithinking: To review each chapter like that, my gratitude, to you. X3

To chibiaries: Format is good now, yes? :D

To tatterdemalion: *huddles* Between you and me, it's about to get worse. *grimace*