-35-
Something about the storm made Gilbert reminisce about the past, he thought about his grandfather Germania and thought about how he was raised with such love and such…annoyance. He laughed at the thought of his father's face. Sometimes he would purposefully annoy him with silly antics, but in the end he loved his Grandfather.
It was a rainy night like tonight that he saw the very first carnage of hate and anger…it was war.
"hundreds of years ago"-
The storm crashed and boomed as the tall blonde male leaned over and laced his boots. His braid fell forward and hung gingerly in the air as his face was solid and focused. Gilbert sat next to him on the floor, his little being watching his elders face change every so often from stern to a soft a caring expression towards him. Gilbert swallowed heavy.
"Where are you going?" Gilbert asked in a small child's voice.
Germania breathed deep and placed his green eyes onto his grandson "I have something I must take care of."
"Why? Its raining out." Gilbert spoke innocently sensing something was wrong.
"When you are older you will understand."
"Just tell me now! I might still understand!" Gilbert pouted.
"I am going to kill Rome." He spoke coldly.
Gilbert gasped and felt tears come to his eyes. "W-why? He is your best friend!"
Germania didn't budge, he watched as his little one cried and couldn't help but to sigh " He is a threat to my people. It cannot be helped." He spoke softly.
"R-rome wouldn't hurt us, he-
"Just stay here." Germania rose to his feet and moved towards the door and took his sword in hand, he placed it in the belt loop designated for it and began to leave when Gilbert spoke. The cross hung from the weapon and shone like a weapon on its own
"It's not fair."
"No, it isn't." Germania spoke quietly and left.
Little did the taller empire know, but Gilbert hurried out the door after him. He wore his St. Maria's Order uniform out and quickly moved through the rain. He maneuvered through the woods and finally heard the clinking of swords. When he got closer to the battle he saw before him the two fighting viciously, when Germania took one final swing and cut Rome. The darker toned man let out a loud cry of agony and fell back into the mud. Germania dropped his sword, tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Why did you say all those lies about my people!" He shouted and fell to his knees looking at the fatal blow he had given his rival and best friend.
"You" He coughed blood and tried speaking again " You were always stronger."
"You were jealous so you lied!" Germania shook his head.
"Please take care of my sons." He spoke weakly.
The rain poured down onto the two nations, Rome lifted his hand to hold it up against the sky. He brought it back down on to his face and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Germania shouted finally "I LOVED YOU!" He growled gripping the dirt tightly. " I loved you so much and you never even looked at me like that! You always looked past me at others and then you began to lie and-
Rome used all of his strength to pull on Germania hair and pull him closer. Their lips touched and the two stayed like that for a moment and when Germania pulled away he began to laugh. He laughed hysterically and spoke " Hemlock…really?" He questioned and smiled at his interest.
Rome waited for something, anything and didn't expect Germania to move back down for another kiss. Rome instinctively reached for his sword slowly, Germania didn't notice and Gilbert couldn't bare to just watch. He rushed out of the bushes "GRANDFATHER!"
Germania's eyes widened and went to look back when he felt Rome's sword enter him. Gilbert cried out as the older country coughed loudly.
"You know I have never liked losing a battle…" Rome spoke and closed his eyes with a smile.
The tiny child ran to the countries and was now in such terror of losing his grandfather. When he got closer Germania rose to his feet and stumbled back, he turned to the small Gilbert and stumbled closer.
"I told you to stay home."
"Grandfather!" He shouted in tears.
He fell forward and caught himself with one knee, "You have to take care of your brother."
"I-I will." Gilbert cried "But lets get you home, first ok?" He smiled and Germania's eyes softened, he reached for his grandsons face and pulled forward, their foreheads touched. When Gilbert got closer he could see all the cuts and scrapes on his elder. His long blonde hair clung to the sides of his face, Germania let the tears fall down his face.
"You will have to be strong. Do anything to advance, do anything to stay alive, do anything do you understand me?"
"I don't-
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" He shouted in a firm voice that shook the ground as it seemed, but it was really thunder.
"I understand sir."
"I love you very much." Germania spoke and smiled "But I cannot kiss you goodbye, you will die if I do such a thing."
"Your goodnight kisses never kill me!" Gilbert cried loudly.
"This one would, Rome had poison on his lips." Germania reached for his sword and handed it to his grandson. A long chain hung from it, a cross dangled from it and clinked the sword. " This is now yours, I won't be needing it."
Gilbert reached for the sword and took it in his hands, it was heavy but he held it as strong as he could. He watched as Germania closed his eyes and fell sideways and didn't re-open them. Gilbert stared waiting for movement, he then reached forward and shook him once and then again. "Germania." No response. "Germania?" Gilbert swallowed heavy and began to cry softly when it finally occurred to him. All of this would be his now. The order and everything was his, his eyes widened in realization and he rose to his feet lifting the sword with no trouble.
"I will live on for you." Gilbert spoke in a voice that even surprised himself.
As the knowledge came out to the world, the nations began to divide the Germanic nations from one another. One was to young to even defend itself and Gilbert was in no way ready to care for another. He began obsessed with power and greed. He was ruthless and followed the orders of his bosses with no complaints. Austria took the Holy Roman Empire for his own and raised him for his own. Gilbert in a way forgot about his younger brother and the same happened for the Holy Roman Empire.
Gilbert smiled at the memories and began to laugh, this made Ivan raise an eyebrow to him. "Are you ok?" Ivan asked.
"I am fine."
"What are you laughing at?" Ivan asked in confusion.
"Good memories."
Ivan smirked "Hopefully they have nothing to do with anyone dying."
"I don't normally smile at that…" Gilbert rolled his eyes.
"Don't you?" Ivan rolled his eyes.
"No." Gilbert sighed and looked up at Ivan "I actually hate death."
"Then why did you raise Ludwig to be a tyrant?"
"The funny thing is, I didn't ever intend for him to become a tyrant. I raised him to be strong and-
"Ruthless." Ivan added with a smile.
"I miss him." Gilbert sighed.
Ivan didn't respond but his eyes did soften in their gaze. He looked at Gilbert "You can never see him again." Ivan spoke calmly.
"Why is that?"
Ivan looked at him with that one expression again. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it, his eyes were stone. "Gilbert. I told them you were dead."
Gilbert didn't say anything, he leaned forward and took a sip from the porcelain cup. Ivan tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't you upset at me?"
"Should I be?"
"Normally now is the time you would be punching me, you would be cursing my name saying you hated me, you would be-
"My past self, would have." Gilbert noted and smiled "But that part of me has died so…in a way you didn't do anything wrong."
Ivan bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows "Then why can't you love me!"
"Because that would be a lie." Gilbert rose to his feet and left Ivan to his lonesome.
It took Ludwig a little time to simmer down before he could approach the French nation.
"Francis." Ludwig spoke firmly making the other turn in response. The two had planned to meet at a local park in West Berlin.
"Ludwig, how are you?"
"You sure do have a big bruise on your face" Ludwig laughed.
"You don't even have a mark!" Francis yelled offended.
"You haven't been the best of fighters." Ludwig chuckled inwardly.
"Excuse me but who wreaked havoc on Europe for almost a hundred years?"
"I think your Napoleon Wars were a joke compared to either of my wars, may I remind you." Ludwig gloated.
Francis rolled his eyes and was about to retort when a smaller nation approached him. He was younger and much more frail looking Japan even. It was Felix of Poland, Francis smiled and itched his head nervously. Ludwig glowered at the two and was about to walk away when Poland spoke up.
"Wait!" Felix barked.
Ludwig stopped and turned around and faced him. He was ready to take all the verbal abuse that was about to happened.
"I don't want to be enemies." The blonde spoke quietly.
"No?" Ludwig growled "You made it so I wasn't allowed to go to the camp to put flowers down? Sounds like a rivalry to me?" Ludwig glared daggers at the nation which made him stumble back only a little. But he grew the courage to speak louder.
"It just seemed so wrong to let you waltz back in after 5 years!" The child like figure shouted. He looked to be 17 but really he was hundreds of years old.
Ludwig bit his lip and was about to turn away when the nation began to cough loudly. Francis soothed his pains and Ludwig closed his eyes slowly, it was his fault the country was at a weakened state. He sighed and walked back over to the two.
"So what is this about?" Ludwig asked.
"I wanted to come to terms with you for once and for all." The young voice spoke.
"Come to terms?" Ludwig spoke shocked.
"I don't think it makes sense to be angry at you about the Holocaust when that is what started your madness." He spoke coldly.
Ludwig looked down and was about to speak when the persecuted nation spoke up again " I think it is wrong what we have done to Prussia and I will forever be a voice against that notion." He glowered at the ground.
Ludwig's eyes widened and he smiled warmly and brought his hand out to shake the other nations. The Polish nation smiled at the notion and shook his hand proudly. Francis brought his hand up and looked at Ludwig in the eyes.
The two didn't shake for a moment and finally Ludwig moved his hand and shook it firmly and smiled. "I want peace more than anything amongst the nations, but this doesn't make me forgive you-
"Ludwig." Poland growled making it obvious how he felt about his words.
"…" Ludwig sighed "Just give me time, this is all I ask." He tried to reason.
The two couldn't say anything against the words. They nodded and the Polish nation spoke "I am glad we can start a new future." He smiled and Ludwig couldn't help but feel something inside him lift his spirits. It was his people, they were for whatever reason happy about the new agenda. Ludwig smiled and looked up to the sky and thought for just one instance "Gilbert, I am going to better our country…the right way." He smiled.
Gilbert leaned against the back of the couch and sighed, he looked around the room and repeated the gesture of falling back into the couch and sighing. Ivan rolled his eyes after the second sigh couldn't help but smile.
"Do you need something?" Ivan asked impatiently.
"I am bored." Gilbert responded.
"Well if you are thinking I am letting you tour the city you are wrong."
Gilbert didn't say anything and finally sighed the words."Do you have any books I could read?"
"None that are approved why?" The communist Government only sold certain books to certain people.
"Why do you think!" Gilbert rolled his eyes to the apparent reasons for wanting to read a book.
Ivan scowled at the sharp words and was about to retort when he looked over at the nation to see he was genuinely bored.
"Would you like to tour the library with me?"
"Nah." Gilbert sighed acting as if he never brought up books.
Ivan sealed his lips tightly and then looked back up at him again "Come with me."
Gilbert sighed and rolled his eyes, he then realized Ivan was already leaving the room. Gilbert hurried up and rushed out of the room to see the Russian was already down the hallway and going down the stairs. Gilbert hurried after him and was surprised when Ivan went towards the area of the mansion he was told never to go near. Gilbert's eyes narrowed and he bit his lip in curiosity.
"Where are we going?" Gilbert asked nervously.
"You will see." Ivan smiled his normal cold smile.
Gilbert followed him to the guarded area and Ivan nodded as they passed the guards. Gilbert followed closely seeing a new part of the mansion he had never in his life had seen. As he made his way down the path and around areas heavily guarded Ivan came to a door that was decorated in a fine gold leafed material. Gilbert swallowed heavy, his eyes felt like he had seen this before…but what was this. Why did this door look so familiar?
Ivan turned back to the Prussian and took out a key to unlock the giant door. The key was used and removed slowly, he looked back to the nation and saw utter curiosity building in his eyes.
"I give you the Garden" The sun pierced the doorway as he opened it. The light was blinding and Gilbert absorbed every bit of it. Ivan opened the door to unveil a far to familiar piece of scenery. A smile formed on his face and he couldn't help but have an open and surprised mouth. There were no words to speak, there was no breath to escape him and there was no emotion to unveil other then complete and utter astonishment.
Gilbert hurried across the garden to a fenced in tree and he quickly hopped over it and fell to the ground laughing. His hands brushed through the long grass, he bumped into a thick root and he slowly drew his fingers over the long finger like root. It was aged, tall and full of knots.
He hopped up and brought his hands across the tree trunk and ran his hands over it feeling the smooth wood burning and brimming with life. He smiled and turned around to see Ivan smiling at the once proud nation. Gilbert lifted his head and shouted with all of the voice he had" AHHHHH!" He smiled the while emitting loud noise.
Ivan laughed and Gilbert couldn't help but return the laughter, the tears formed at his eyes and he yelled again until he was out of breath. Gilbert hurried away to a building with many circular pillars and a bench and table that was well aged. He brought his hand over the ivory. The building was obviously refurbished after the war, but not all of it. Some parts were still bullet ridden but Gilbert couldn't help but to be happy that it was still standing. Gilbert moved through the open building and moved down the steps. Ivan didn't rush after him, he followed slowly as the Prussian moved throughout the garden exploring it.
He found an open field like area with many German wild flowers and sat in the field and laid back. Ivan joined him and sat next to him. Gilbert brought his hand over his face "This is the place that we used to have coffee at. It was my gift to Ludwig once he became a country." Gilbert laughed loudly "Why didn't you destroy it?" Gilbert went to sit up when Ivan rolled over on top of him.
Ivan's lips hovered over him and he spoke in a whisper "I didn't mean to keep it standing at first, but I found this hidden garden years after I had you in my grasp." He moved closer "I for some reason couldn't destroy it." Ivan spoke quietly.
Gilbert swallowed heavy feeling his cheeks burning he moved his head forward and kissed him gently on the lips. Ivan's eyes widened at the gesture. Gilbert never had kissed him willingly. "Thank you." Gilbert said it in a whisper and fell back on the soft grass.
Ivan swallowed and smiled differently "If only you could stay like this." Ivan smiled.
"And you." Gilbert smiled.
Ivan looked down at him and narrowed his look at him. Ivan didn't understand the words he had just spoken but he felt something inside of him pulling at him to kiss him again. Gilbert sat up and was about to get up when Ivan pushed him back down. Gilbert's smile faded and he closed his eyes and Ivan noticed. Gilbert drifted off somewhere far to just get away from Ivan.
Ivan arched his eyebrows and let the Prussian's wrist go. He rose to his feet and spoke "You can spend as much time as you like here. I will let you have clearance here, don't let me regret it." Ivan smiled leaving the Prussian.
Gilbert didn't open his eyes until it hit him the words he just spoke, he opened them abruptly to see Ivan leaving. He sat up feeling a breath of freedom. He furrowed his eyebrows and blinked a couple time in confusion.
"That's it?"
Ivan laughed and left the area and went back to his political duties.