Author's note: So I was rereading my last chapter and I learned that I should never edit something at midnight. Sorry for all the mistakes. Like I said this is my first time writing, so I'll have to work the bugs out. Thanks for sticking through all my errors! Hopefully I'll get it right this time. Reviewers will get hugs and kisses from Holy Rome ^^
I OWN NOTHING!
The second day most fucked up day of my life was a year after I found out what I really was. Mom was pregnant with Ludwig, I was five, and Roderich was three. I tried to hide most of Mom's Vacinal in hopes that my new sibling wouldn't be a freak. I knew that she had taken the devil drug when she was carrying Roderich so I could only wait until his mutation appeared. It took a year, but the dreaded day finally came. I was in kindergarten. I never went to preschool, so this was my first year at school. The government and the majority of the population knew about mutants and passed a few laws making it illegal for mutants to attend school. I knew that, but Mom didn't. I knew the government was the enemy and I should stay away from highly populated buildings. Mom was too high to care. I knew that I would be shipped off to god knows where if I accidently grew a tail during math class. Mom didn't give a fuck. I had to be careful, very careful. If anyone was telling their friend about their new goldfish, I would high tail it out of there. I never played 'zoo' or even 'house' with the other kids, just to be safe. The reading assignments terrified me. They were always about Kim the Cat or Peter the Pig. I regularly refused to read them aloud to the class. What if I scratched my head while I was reading about Dan the Dog? I didn't think my teacher would like her students to be changing into Labradors in the middle of a lesson.
What really made school a nightmare was the fact that I wasn't home all day anymore. Without me there beside Roderich to protect him, anything could happen. Despite my age, my mind was anything but innocent. I knew sure as hell what could happen to him while I was gone. I needed to be there to take the bullet if necessary.
One day when I came home from school, one of my biggest fears came true. I had a half day. I think there where parent teacher conferences, or something. I can't really remember. Mom wouldn't have gone to it anyway. I was walking home through my scummy neighborhood. It was only a fifteen minute walk. When I reached my apartment door, Gilbird flew off my head and into my backpack. I didn't think much of it. When I opened the door, I realized why he had hid. Roderich was huddled up besides the couch, covered in black and green bruises, bawling his eyes out. I dropped my backpack and ran to him as fast as I could. When he saw me, he seemed to cry even harder. I scoped him into my arms and he instantly clung to my neck.
"What happened?" I heard myself ask. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Roderich tried to say something, but only babble came out. A loud crash sounded form upstairs. I decided to investigate. Prying Roderich off of me, I set him down on the couch. "Stay here, I'll be right back." I ordered. He made a sound of disapproval, but didn't make any move to follow me. As quietly as I could, I ascended the steps. I heard yelling. It was coming from Roderich's room. I crept over to the closed door and pressed my ear against it.
"I don't know what happened! Please stop!" I heard Mom holler. She cried out in pain. It sounded like someone had slapped her.
'Probably her boyfriend' I thought. He was pretty new, only been around for about two or three weeks. He had crazy blonde hair and I think his name started with an 'L'.
"Do you know what that little shit is?!" L's voice was slightly slurred. He was probably drunk.
"N-no, I don't!" Mom sounded close to tears.
"That kid's a MUTANT!"
My blood ran cold. 'A…mutant…' I thought. I knew that Roderich was like me, but I never wanted to admit it.
"It's not that big of a deal, sweetie." Mom tried to coo, "I mean… ah, what's his name… Gilbert is one of them too."
I rolled my eyes. 'Wow, I feel so loved.'
"That albino's one too!" L roared. Breaking glass could be heard.
'Yep, defiantly drunk.'
"Please stop! What did Roger do?!" Mom cried.
'Close enough.'
"I don't even know!" L exclaimed. "One minute I was standin' over the freak, the next I'm slammed against the wall with my ears ringin'!"
'Thanks for screaming to the world that two mutants live here, ya jackass.'
I'd heard enough. I needed to know exactly what happened and that drunkard was of no use. I snuck back down the steps and ran back to Roderich's side. He was still crying. If I wanted to get any information out of him, he needed to calm down.
"Hey Roddy," I smiled sweetly, "its okay, big brother's here to keep you safe." I sat down and hugged him again. He flinched when I touched him, but quickly relaxed into the hug. Humming a song under my breath, his tears almost immediately stopped. 'Why didn't I try that first?'
Even at his young age, my brother was a music freak. He'd memorized all the songs I taught him that I learned from school. 'I could play a note on any instrument and he would know it was a B flat on a flute.' That got me thinking. 'Maybe he can do something with music, somehow.' I wondered as Roderich continued to sniff. 'It would make sense; I've loved animals for as long as I can remember.'
"Um, hey Roddy," I nervously got his attention. His huge bloodshot eyes looked into mine. I resisted the urge to look away. I hated direct eye contact. I always felt like I was being judged. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Do you like music?" He instantly nodded his head. "Can you…make music?" Another nod.
"Drum." He mumbled. It was still his favorite toy. Come to think of it, it might have been his only toy. I can't really remember.
"Did you just make music? I mean, without the drum." Roderich didn't move for a minute, but eventually nodded. He muttered something again.
"What was that?" I prodded.
He whimpered then whispered so quietly I could barely make out what he said.
"Bass chord."
I didn't know what a bass or a chord was. "What's that?" I asked.
He looked at me as if I had asked him what color the sky is. "It's two or more notes played on the bass cleft that is played to sound together, duh."
'Well then, you didn't have to be a smartass about it, geeze.' "How do you know that?" I asked. That was probably the longest sentence I had ever heard him say.
He scrunched up his face in thought "I don't know…I….just do."
Things were getting more complicated by the minute. "Where did the chord come from?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "My hand, I guess. See, like this." He held his hand up to my ear. Ever so slowly, a line of music began to grow louder and louder that was indeed coming from Roderich's hand.
'It sounds like…' "Mary had a little lamb." I said aloud. Roderich nodded his head excitedly.
"You like that song." His innocent smile contrasted horribly with the large bruise covering his left eye. I swallowed a lump that formed in my throat.
"So I guess that's your power." I mumbled. I ran my fingers through my hair. 'Great, my brother's a living music box.'
"Yep, that's right!" Gilbird chirped from inside my backpack. He popped his head out and flew a few centimeters away from my head. Roderich started to silently giggle, but I didn't think anything of it. The gears in my head were turning as something dawned on me. I looked down at Roderich again and he stopped laughing.
'What a weirdo.' "Do you see any, ah, animals anywhere?" I asked. Now it was Roderich's turn to be confused.
"Animals?" He thought about it for a few seconds before he understood what I was asking. "Oh, you mean animals like your imaginary bird?"
I frowned a little. Gilbird wasn't imaginary, but I still nodded my head. His violet eyes traveled around the room before landing on mine again. "Nope, I don't see anything."
I was considerably disappointed. I thought that maybe all mutants had…spirit animals, or whatever you'd call them. That would make having a magic talking bird a little more sensible. 'Oh well, I guess I don't know what Gilbert is. I was sure I was on a lead, but I guess I still don't know what or who I am'
Roderich's giggling brought me out of my trance. I scowled, "What are you laughing at?"
He covered his mouth with his hand. "You're a sheep."
I felt my head. 'Yep, there are ears there.' I sighed, 'Fuck.'
# # #
Final thoughts: All the Austria fangirls must want to kill me, making Chibiaustria cry for two chapters straight. Oh well, life goes on. That was my attempt to end on a positive note, by the way.