Hurray I got another update in! It might be a little short, but hopefully that's okay. On with the story!
Hetalia Kirkland: Nuuuuuu! It made me sad too, but don't worry I have malicious plans for our Italian friend *evil laugh*
Professional Tsundere: EEK! *runs around while on fire* ow hot hot, pleas don't kill me, I don't want to die!
VeventeandPerso: I will (when I stop burning that is :3)
Christian yelped when the cannon fired. He looked over at Arthur, who had gotten to his feet. There was a tense silence.
"It wasn't near us, calm down Iggy," said Alfred, tugging on Arthur's jacket, trying to get him to sit back down. Arthur glared at him, but sat down.
"I told you not to call me that," he mumbled grumpily under his breath.
Christian glanced at Ralph, to check that he was still alive. He sighed in relief when he saw him sleeping peacefully.
"Who do you think died?" Christian asked nervously.
"I'm not sure, we're very isolated here, I haven't seen any other tributes apart from us and that district one girl," replied Arthur, "but I've got a bad feeling about it."
Christian nodded but he was still worried. Alfred grinned at him.
"Don't worry about it, just back me up and we'll al be fine!" he laughed, but he wasn't really smiling. Arthur knew he was nervous too. Ralph stirred from his slumber and opened one eye.
"Ralph! How's your wound?" Asked Christian, Ralph winced.
"Getting better, I think I can stand up again, but I'm going to be useless if we're attacked," Ralph muttered bitterly.
"Don't worry about it, you saved me after all!" Christian smiled weakly, but Ralph looked away.
"Let him be," said Arthur.
Christian looked at him, then nodded reluctantly. Alfred stood.
"I'm going to get water, Christian, you back me up ok?" he announced, grabbing Christian by the arm and dragging him to his feet before he had a chance to respond.
Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes, but made no move to stop him. He tossed Alfred some thread tied to sticks.
"Make some hooks and catch some fish while you're there, I presume you know how," Arthur said as Alfred caught the sticks.
"No need to worry, the hero is on the job!" laughed Alfred proudly, walking off towards the lake, dragging Christian after him.
Arthur shook his head and sighed, then turned his attention to Ralph.
"You know, moping isn't going to get you anywhere, you may as well get up and help guard our possessions," he commented. Ralph mumbled in an irritated manner in response.
"Honestly, your acting like my younger brother used too," Arthur chided. Ralph flinched and turned to face Arthur.
"Why did you spare me and Christian," Ralph asked, he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Arthur's mouth.
"I… it's because," Arthur's eyes met Ralph's, "you both remind me so much of my… siblings."
Ralph blinked, this was what he expected.
"They… died a long time ago," Arthur continued, "along with much of my friends and family, it was a massacre of sorts."
Ralph looked away, knowing what Arthur was talking about.
"A man… no a monster slaughtered them before my very eyes, damn well nearly slaughtered me too. In fact, I though me and Matthew were the only survivors, but then Feliciano was called for the reaping, and you know the rest." Arthur sighed regretfully, "but despite all of the survivors, many are still dead, or missing. I haven't seen my youngest brothers or eldest. A good number of my friends are probably still dead," Arthur's voice trembled, "I volunteered so that I might protect them, but one is already dead, and we still don't know who that last cannon shot was for."
Ralph felt a tear form at the corner of his eye, but he rubbed it away quickly.
"Tell me Ralph," Ralph looked up at the older man, whose eyes were filled with such grief and pain, too much for someone of his physical age, "do you know what pain is?"
Ralph closed his eyes. He remembered the pain he felt when his people died for a meaningless war, he remembered the pain when he and Christian had walked into that conference room. He remembered the pain of years and years of not knowing.
He opened his eyes.
"Yes."
Arthur nodded and said no more, he instead got up and began to walk towards a tree which he had picked out as a lookout post. He paused before climbing it.
"You two really remind me of my younger brother's you know," he said, then he was gone. Up the tree at an impossible fast speed.
Ralph shivered and hugged the jacket that covered him closer. He knew that Arthur suspected his identity, Alfred probably did too. Ralph didn't like hiding it from them, he wanted to hug Arthur, pull him close and apologise for everything he had done. He wanted the world to be like it was when Arthur and Alfred were strong, and both he and Christian had lived almost completely carefree lives. Sure back then there were problems too, war and economic problems. But back then, his people had been mainly happy. Now they were uneasy, crime rate and poverty skyrocketed. Survivors from other places, or escapee's from Panem fled to either his place, or his brother's. That's why they had come here, to fix the world.
Ralph looked up at the figure in the tree which was Arthur, an idea forming in his mind.
Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't have to do it alone.
########
Elizabeth and Irunya returned to the cornucopia carrying three filled water canteens. To their surprise, Antonio was now sitting just outside the cornucopia.
"Did you find anything?" he asked as they approached. Elizabeth held up the canteens as a response, and Antonio smiled briefly.
"We didn't fill them all up, as we were filling up the third canteen, we heard voices so we cleared out," Elizabeth explained.
"How's brother?" asked Irunya, Antonio pulled a face.
"He's in there with Gilbert. He woke up and started screaming about killing Panem, he's calmed down a little now, but I don't dare go in there." he shivered. Irunya nodded and walked in the cornucopia to comfort her brother.
"Where's Lovino?" Elizabeth asked, noticing the Italian's absence.
"I'm not sure, he cleared out when Ivan started freaking out, but I'm sure he'll be back soon," Antonio replied, though he looked a little nervous. They had all heard the cannon fire.
"Yeah, I hope…" Elizabeth glanced at the woods, then shrugged.
"I'd better take this water to Gilbert and Ivan," she tossed him a canteen, "don't drink it all, Lovino will want some when he comes back."
Antonio smiled gratefully and unscrewed the cap, drinking a few mouthfuls of the life replenishing water. Elizabeth smiled at him, then walked into the cornucopia.
Irunya was sitting with Ivan, trying to get him to drink a little water. Ivan kept shaking his head, and mumbling in Russian. Irunya noticed Elizabeth and gave her a sad smile, then returned her gaze to Ivan.
Elizabeth sighed and kneeled by Gilbert, who was snoring loudly at the back of the cornucopia.
"Gilbert wake up, I brought water," Gilbert did not respond, and continued to snore. Elizabeth felt her temper rising, she had always been rather short with Gilbert, ever since the red eyed man had beaten up poor Mr Roderich.
"GILBERT WAKE UP OR HEAVEN HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL!" she yelled.
Gilbert woke up.
"Mein Gott woman," he complained rubbing his head, "no need to yell at the awesome me."
Elizabeth 'hmph-ed' and tossed him a canteen.
"Drink, we need your strength if we're going to survive," she said. Gilbert smirked.
"So you finally admit that you require my awesome assistance?" when Elizabeth didn't respond, Gilbert frowned.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Lovino, Antonio said he ran off, and there was a cannon shot while you were unconscious…" she muttered, glancing at the entrance were Antonio sat, staring at the woods, "I told Antonio that I think he's alive, but I-I'm not so sure…"
Gilbert shook his head.
"Damn, Lovino was damn useful when he wanted to be…" he muttered. Elizabeth frowned and hit Gilbert in the arm.
"Don't speak as if he's already dead, there's still a chance he's alive," she hissed.
Gilbert looked her in the eyes, the playfulness wiped from his face.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked, making her flinch, "Lovino is dead, I... I can feel it."
Elizabeth frowned.
"How would you know?"
Gilbert looked away.
"You know how I told you to get some rest, just before Ivan arrived?" Elizabeth nodded, unsure as to where this conversation was headed, "I felt it then too, like a presence had just, disappeared, but…" Gilbert paused.
"But?" Elizabeth prompted.
"But with Lovino, it feels different, it's like he's dead, but there is a part of him that is still alive," Gilbert explained.
"Like a ghost?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, not quite as simple as that, but similar…" Gilbert suddenly flinched, "no matter, it's probably just because I'm so awesome! Kesesese!"
Elizabeth frowned, then remembered that this was the hunger games, all this was being broadcasted to all of Panem. Gilbert had remembered just in time to keep their secret. Elizabeth released a breath hadn't realised she had been holding.
Gilbert tried to get up, but fell, cursing. He had been injured more than he had thought.
Elizabeth couldn't help but feel sad. If only Mr Roderich was here, then it could be like old times. She sighed; Panem had destroyed everything close to them.
Mr Roderich, Natalia, Lovino…
Poor Feliciano, how would he cope with the news of his brother's death?
Elizabeth shook her head; she wished that her friends hadn't split up. There might be a chance of escaping the games if they all came together.
Then it hit her.
They could escape! There had to be a way, she looked at Gilbert, then Irunya and Ivan. Finally she turned her gaze to Antonio.
Panem had already taken so much from them, so much more then they could ever take back. But if there was a way to gather all the tributes, if there was a way of breaking free from the games, then they would have a chance.
Elizabeth smiled.
Maybe, this would be the last of the hunger games…
Kesese! Awesome Prussia now with extra awesome sensory abilities! Anyway, I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as I'm done with my history assignment, so hopefully it shouldn't take too long.
Mein Gott: My god (German)