Yep, the post-game / epilogue! Sorry for using you all like that…I had to. Don't worry, keep voting for the lemon pie and you'll get it :D
Meanwhile, let's pay attention to the secondary characters and see how they're doing~!
/=LOADING…=/
/="Missing You ~ Namine" by Piano Collections: Kingdom Hearts II=/
The news hit everyone hard.
It began when Ludwig walked back to the city with swollen eyes and wet cheeks. The first person to ask was Húdié Mei. Once she found out, she had to spread the news around. The party quickly descended into a state of mourning, especially when it came to his parents. Felicia fell into Romulus's arms in tears, all while holding Lovino's reluctant tears.
Ivan had to mourn as well, but he was the first one to state that the Hetalia guild had to get a new leader. Romulus was quick to take his son's place, wiping tears out of his eyes and calling it an honor. Yong Soo chirped openly and stated how he was honored himself to have his father help him.
Of course, since Romulus was such an important part of the Church the Hetalia guild was quick to gain a massive supporter. Soon it became the strongest third party supporter that the world had to offer, with thousands of branches stretching out through all reaches of the globe. Romulus and Yong Soo were the known leaders, and were never biased toward doing what was truly right in the people's eyes.
Still, despite being a major part of the world's issues, they never forgot their roots. Each and every single person who has seen or talked to him had remembered every detail of that man: his eyes, his smile, that odd curl, and the family that he had left behind. Soon, it became clear that those who had known him saw him in Lovino's eyes. After a month, it became almost mentally impossible to separate the twins apart. Lovino began to suffer from the burden of being compared to such standards, despite playing a part as well in the final battle.
Out of all who had suffered from his death, Ludwig was the one who was hit the hardest. Being a man of duty and honor, he had come the next day for work without missing a beat or allowing himself to mourn. He knew that he had to carry on, for his sake. This was something that he had worked on for all of his small life, and he had to take it seriously. He never once shed a tear openly since that day, but those who have spent the night with him could hear broken sobs and calls for the voices to quiet all through the night. Still, he forced himself on. He had to push himself on.
They all had to move on…
For him…
/=TWO MONTHS AFTER THE DAY…=/
"Whoa! It's you, da ze!"
Yong Soo and Ivan jumped up to see a familiar figure walking through the door. He whipped the ponytail toward the back of his head and looked at Yong Soo dead in the eyes.
"I heard that this is the guild Hetalia, am I correct aru?"
"Of course, of course!" He jumped, grabbing his boobs.
"AIYA! S-stop doing that!" He spazzed. "What is up with you doing that, aru?"
"It's been so long since I grabbed them!" He chirped. "I'm happy now, da ze!"
"Of course, of course…" Wang Yao sighed, looking around. "The business is still running, I see…"
"You have heard of what had happened, da?" Ivan said, his Vitula clearly shining.
"I have. I want to give you my sympathies, aru." Wang Yao said. "And that…well, I'm getting bored of living in seclusion."
"Are you…saying what I think you're saying?" Yong Soo's eyes lit up.
"Um…is it possible for me to join the-"
"YES YOU CAN, DA ZE!"
*grope*
/=FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE DAY…=/
"Elizabeta…you're shaking again…"
She turned herself around to see Roderich standing right behind her, a concerned look on his face. Ever since his death, he had spent more time talking to her instead of attending to his musical works and honing his abilities. She smiled at his concern before turning her head back to the flowers that were blooming in front of her.
"Don't the daisies look beautiful today?"
"Hm?" He turned to them. "Yes…yes they do. You've been caring for them all this time, haven't you?"
"They were his favorite. He never told anyone, not even me…but I have seen him stare at them for hours on end. He loved them."
"I see…"
There was a vast amount of silence, mainly with two of them looking at the daisies that were blooming beautifully in front of them. Sometimes, they couldn't help but see his face smiling back at them in the petals. The smile was sad, hiding itself as much as it could to keep his happy composure…
"He told me something back then…"
"He did?" Roderich looked up.
"Before he was chased out by the mob…he realized that he was in love with Ludwig…" Elizabeta wiped a tear from her eyes. "And when I asked him…Ludwig told me that he never said it. Not once."
"…how horrible." He looked down. "Knowing someone else had loved you only when it was too late."
"And it was worse in his case! You know why? Because he TRULY loved him…" Elizabeta was sobbing. "It wasn't lust or admiration or even something small like puppy crushes…it was pure love. Ludwig was so lucky to have someone like him in his life…but he never said it…He never said it…"
"I know…and I don't want that to be us as well…"
She froze as Roderich grabbed her shoulders, his eyes stern and aimed right back at hers. Despite this stern glare, he had something else in there…worry? Fear? Dammed up tears?
"I don't want to live my life knowing that I could've said this to you. After him, I don't…I don't want you to be hurt either."
"Roderich…but…I'm a maid. I'm your maid…"
"I don't care…" He smiled. "My father said that the time has come for me to choose a bride…and if she will allow me…I wish for you to be my wife…"
Elizabeta started shaking and sobbing before throwing herself into his arms.
/=EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE DAY…=/
"I still can't believe that he's gone…"
"Yeah, I know…"
Matthew looked out into the sunset, hearing the waves crash around him. He looked to his side and saw Seyel stare at the ocean, throwing rocks in it and hearing the skipping of stones heading into the heart of the sea. Soon, she gave up on throwing the rocks and walked down the Oceanside before stopping suddenly. She looked up to the sunset.
"It was here when I first found him."
"Hm?"
"When I first saw him…he was lying face-up on the sand. He looked dead to me at first, but then he woke up. I wasn't paying attention, since I was so worried about you not showing up, but…" She blinked. "Now that I think about it…he looked so helpless and confused then…with nothing on him but the clothes on his back."
"And to think…he came from the sea and was forced to return to it…" Matthew looked out to the blue of the waters. "I heard from Ludwig that…he didn't want to leave…he wanted to stay…"
"His last words were begging for him to stay…" Seyel closed her eyes and threw another rock. "That's just horrible. No one should have that as their last statement."
"No…especially not him. He had a whole life to live…" Matthew's eyes narrowed. "It's not surprising that was to be his wish…"
"He must've been so scared…dying."
"Maybe not…perhaps, since it is common for people to fear death, but…" He closed his eyes. "He was in Ludwig's arms. I think, out of everything that he had to gain, that was all he had ever wished for…"
"…to be in the arms of someone who cared for you…even the ones who are happily in love never had that final blessing…"
/=SIXTEEN MONTHS AFTER THE DAY…=/
"Dammit bastard, get the hell away from me!"
"Aw…come back here, Lovi-kun!"
"IT'S…LOVINO!"
Antonio paused. After more than a year of hearing that phrase over and over again, he finally noticed something that Lovino had hesitated in what he had said in that phrase. Lovino glared at him, his eyes oddly glazed with something shining…was it tears? Was he remembering…?
"Lovi-kun?"
"H-Haven't you heard me, dammit? It's…Lovino…"
It was then that he realized why he hesitated. He approached him and held his shoulders, making the poor boy pause and jump and try his best to get himself away from him. Unfortunately, Antonio's vines were holding him down. That was not weird whatsoever.
"You're still remembering your brother, aren't you?"
"S-shut up, bastard!" He squirmed even more. "No I don't…"
"I can't blame you, Lovino. He was the one who would always call you Lovi-kun…" Antonio smiled. "I miss him too, Lovino…I miss him too…"
"D-don't try to make me cry!" Lovino tried to run, stuck because of the damn vines. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"It's fine, Lovino…you can cry." Antonio hugged him. "No one else is around."
Lovino stood there, feeling the arms reached out around his shoulders, before lowering his head on Antonio and started to cry openly. He felt like a dork, crying like that when he couldn't even do this in front of his father. What the hell made Antonio so different from everyone else?
What made him so different…?
/=THIRTY-TWO MONTHS AFTER THE DAY…=/
Ludwig stared out toward the view, feeling the night wind blowing through him and toward the city that he had been watching. The view used to be beautiful. The view used to be calming and relaxing. Now the view was nothing more than the only thing he had left of his past…this and the silver cross around his neck. The one that he had given him…
He held the cross in his hand, trying to imagine the warmth that he had felt when he had it last around his neck, when he had held it when he had gone. Yet all he could feel was the steel of the blade. He could no longer feel anything else that was his…he was gone…save for one…
Ludwig?
He closed his eyes again. It was the voice again…his voice again…
Are you crying again…?
He wiped his eye, feeling the loose tear on his finger.
I…I never wanted this, Ludwig. I'm sorry, you never were supposed to know…
He kept repeating this over and over again. Ludwig had known that. He had said it this whole time…ever since…
Is there something that I can do to help you…? Anything I can do to get rid of the pain…?
There was only one way.
Slowly, Ludwig turned around and saw nothing but the trees that stood behind him. The voice had vanished. That was the only way to make the already open hole in his heart close. That was the only way…even though he wanted nothing more than to hear his voice over again. He looked up toward the night sky.
"240 days…out of two and a half years…"
/=+=/
Now THIS is how Pokemon Mystery Dungeon should've been! Bear in mind that I was listening to "I See the Light" in the Tangled soundtrack and it did NOT make typing this any easier. BELIEVE me. By the way, there are 960 days in thirty-two months. Hearing a voice for 240 of them on random intervals must really suck for Ludwig. Plus, the daisy is the national Italian flower, just so you know~ :D
So…the last one is truly the last episode of the Fantasy Story! For that reason, now's your last chance to vote for lemon pie AND YOU CAN'T VOTE TWICE!
Lovino- Wait, what? Why lemon pie? Who the hell are you going to force lemon pie on?
Mitsuki- It'll be you and Antonio if you don't shut it.
Lovino- *shuts up*