Chapter 6

The next day, it was time for the plan to be executed. "Hey Arthur, Uncle Gilbert's gonna show me something cool so I'll be gone for a while!" Alfred called from the door.

"What does he want to show you?" Arthur asked from the kitchen as he took a sip of his tea.

"He said it's a surprise! I'll be back soon!" Alfred answered.

"Alright, have fun!" Arthur called and Alfred ran down the hall. He met his uncle outside the Mansion and he led him to a large gorge that was quite a ways away from home. The gorge had formed in an earthquake long ago and was nearly 40 feet deep and maybe more. Luckily, the walls were very rocky so it was easy to climb up in some places, but nothing really grew down there so the dirt tended to crumble easily. Gilbert led little Alfred down to the gorge until they reached a large rock that slanted upwards.

"Now you vait here und your father vill get you ze surprise I told you about." Gilbert said.

"What is it?" Alfred asked as he climbed on top of the rock.

"If I told you I vouldn't be a surprise," Gilbert said.

"If you tell me, I'll act surprised," Alfred shot back.

"Oh, such a bad little boy," Gilbert said ruffling his hair.

"C'mon Uncle Gilbert," Alfred whined.

"No no, zis is just for you und your father, like a father to son kind of zing," Gilbert explained, "Vell, I'll go get him," he said and began to walk off.

"I'll come with you!" Alfred said coming after his uncle, but Gilbert stopped him, "No no no, you just vait on zis rock, I vouldn't vant you to get into anozer mess like you did vith ze Soviets yesterday,"

Alfred's eyes widened, "You know about that?" he asked.

"Alfred, everyvun knows about it,"

"Really?" Alfred asked with a pained expression, and Gilbert nodded sadly, "Good zing Ludvig vas zere to save you, hmm?" he asked and started to walk off when Alfred spoke up again, "Uncle Gilbert, will I like the surprise?" he asked.

Gilbert smiled, "Alfred, it's to die for."

Gilbert walked out of the gorge leaving Alfred alone on the slanted rock; little did he know that an enormous herd of horses were grazing near the entrance of the gorge. Feliks Łukasiewicz, the Leader of Poland was the one who owned those horses. He had at least a couple thousand of them because he thought they were useful in battles (which they sometimes were). The bad thing was that most of them were wild and fairly young so they were spooked easily.

In the shadows, three certain Leaders were waiting with their pistols loaded and ready.

"Vhat do ve have to do again?" Katyusha asked.

Ivan rolled his eyes, "Are you really dat forgetful sis?" he asked.

"Just vait for ze signal from Gilbert and just do vhat ve do." Natalia said.

They looked, and watched Gilbert emerge from the gorge and look in their direction. The three Leaders nodded to each other and walked towards the herd.

Alfred lay on his back with his hands cushioning his head as he watched the blue sky. He couldn't help but feel weak as he thought about those Soviet Leaders who nearly killed him and Rachel yesterday. He didn't get why they wanted them dead, but it enraged him knowing that he had been such a weakling. Those Soviets just laughed when he stood up to them and he needed his dad to save him. He was the hero; he should be able to take care of himself!

"That's right," he said out loud as he sat up and slid off the rock. "I can take care of myself; I just need to get stronger!"

He faced the sky and punched the air, "I'm gonna be the strongest Leader ever; BECAUSE I'M THE HERO!" he yelled to the sky.

His voice echoed all around him to his delight; but something didn't feel right. He looked at the ground and saw some pebbles begin to shake as well as the rest of the ground. Alfred looked up near the edge of the gorge where a group of horses began to run down towards him. More and more followed until hundreds were galloping at high speed towards the boy.

Alfred gasped and stood still with his eyes wide as he watched until he snapped out of his trance. He turned around and began to run as more and more horses ran down into the gorge. Up near the entrance, the three Soviet Leaders shot their pistols into the air, spooking the horses more causing them to run faster. Alfred ran through the gorge as the thundering hooves pounded behind him like an earthquake that was quickly catching up.

Ludwig heard the thundering of hooves in the distance and turned towards the sound, "Zat's odd; Felicks' horses don't usually run free like zat."

"Ludvig!" Ludwig saw Gilbert running towards him.

"Vhat's wrong?" he asked his brother who was panting heavily.

"Zere's a stampede in ze gorge; Alfred's down zere!" he cried.

Ludwig's eyes widened in terror, "Alfred…" he said softly.

Alfred ran as fast as his small legs could carry him with the horses hot on his trail. He felt like his lungs were about to burst as the horses began to overcome him. Just then, he saw a dead tree up ahead that was slanted. It wasn't that high, but Alfred hoped it would be better than staying on the ground. He scrambled up the remains of the tree, but the thundering hooves made him and the tree bounce, making it harder to keep his grip. He eventually got to the middle as the herd ran under him. He wrapped his arms and legs around the branch like a koala, but it was no use; he kept losing his grip from the bouncing.

Just then something caught his eye; he saw his father and Uncle Gilbert climbing down onto a ledge of the gorge.

"Dad! Help me!" Alfred yelled.

Ludwig's heart filled with horror as his son's grip on the tree loosened every second, "Hold on Alfred!" he yelled.

One of the horses hit the tree causing it to crack and bend more towards the ground. Alfred screamed as Ludwig jumped of the ledge and into the herd. He ran with the horses until he was a few yards away from the tree. He then slid to the side so he was running the opposite way of the herd. But he was so focused on his son that a horse slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

He looked up just in time as another horse rammed the tree, causing the branch to snap, sending Alfred flying through the air. Alfred flailed and screamed as he flew towards the stampede, but Ludwig ran up and caught him just in time. Gilbert walked along the ledge, watching closely as Ludwig ran into another horse, causing him to drop Alfred, who rolled away from him.

Alfred got up and stared in terror at the oncoming horses. The ground shook madly around him as he tried to shield himself from the horses running around him. He wasn't sure how much more he could take before his father picked him up again and managed to find another ledge. Ludwig climbed up halfway so Alfred could crawl on; but as soon as Alfred was safe, Ludwig was pushed back into the stampede.

"DAD!" Alfred cried as his father disappeared into the stampede. He crawled on his hands and knees and scanned the sea of horses, looking for any sign of his father. Panic rose in his chest with every second that passed, until finally, Ludwig leaped up and managed to grip the wall of the gorge. Relief came to Alfred as Ludwig struggled to climb the slippery cliff and he began to climb a different path further out of the gorge.

Ludwig was near the top of the ledge, some 30 feet above the stampede, but he wasn't sure if he would make it. He looked up to see Gilbert waiting for him at the top with an emotionless expression.

"Gilbert! Brudder help me!" he cried as his grip began to loosen.

Gilbert quickly knelt down and grabbed Ludwig's wrists tightly. He looked his brother straight in the eye, "Long live, the Leader," he whispered.

Ludwig's eyes widened as Gilbert tore his hands from the cliff. Ludwig screamed as he plummeted to the ground as his son watched from a higher ledge.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He screamed as his father disappeared into the dust. Alfred climbed down the ledge as the herd finally ended, leaving clouds of dirt in their wake.

Alfred got to the ground and coughed as the dust began to enter his system.

He ran further into the gorge, "Dad!" he called, his voice scratchy from the dust.

He ran a little further until he spotted a figure in the distance under the now broken dead tree. A sinking feeling came to the boy as he neared the figure. Finally, the dust cleared to reveal Ludwig lying on the ground, eyes closed and unmoving.

Alfred got closer and knelt down, "Dad?" he asked, no response.

"Dad c'mon, you gotta get up," he said trying to move him.

Still no response; panic began to rise in his heart as he tried again, "Dad, we gotta go home," he said and pulled on his sleeve, but his hand fell limply to the ground.

Alfred felt the panic twist his heart as he ran around, "Help!" he cried, "Somebody! Anybody! Help…" he trailed off as tears slid down his cheeks. He knew well that no one would hear him.

He slowly walked back over to his father and slid under his arms. He moved close to his chest and began to cry softly, his tears soaking his father's dusty uniform.

Behind him, Gilbert walked towards him, "Alfred," he said, "what have you done?" he asked.

Alfred jumped from under Ludwig's arm, "Th-the horses and…h-he tried to save me…it was an accident, I didn't mean for it to happen!" he cried.

Gilbert knelt down next to him and Alfred buried his face in his chest, "Of course you didn't, no vun even means for zese things to happen," Gilbert paused, "But your father is dead,"

Alfred looked up at him in shock,

"And if it veren't for you he'd still be alive." Gilbert said.

Alfred's eyes widened and he stared into space. Was it true? Was it really his fault?

"Oh," Gilbert said as he realized something, "vhat vill ze ozer Leader's zink?" he asked him.

Alfred now was afraid; would they not like him? Would they not let him become a Leader?

"What should I do?" he asked.

Gilbert pushed Alfred away from him, "Run avay, Alfred," he said, "Run avay, and never return."

The boy's eyes widened and he backed away a bit before running deeper into the gorge, away from home.

Gilbert smirked as the three Soviet Leaders came up from behind him, "Kill him," he said simply and the three siblings ran after the child.

Alfred ran until he reached the end of the gorge which was piled high with boulders. He heard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see the three Soviets with their pistols loaded. Alfred gasped and began to climb the pile of boulders. The Soviets followed him up while shooting at him at the same time. Alfred managed to get to the top as a bullet barely missed his head.

He ran until he skidded to a stop at a steep hill leading into a large briar patch. Alfred turned around to see the Soviets charge towards him. With no other choice, he closed his eyes and jumped. He tumbled and rolled down the hill for what seemed like hours until he was thrown into the air and landed on the ground with the thorns surrounding him.

The three siblings charged after him as Alfred crawled, carefully but quickly, through the miles of thorns. Luckily, because of his small body, he was easily able to avoid injury.

The Soviets saw the briar patch at the last minute and quickly tried to stop. Natalia and Katyusha managed to stop at the very edge of the cliff, but Ivan wasn't so lucky. Ivan jumped around and yelped in pain as the thorns pricked him everywhere. He climbed out, coated in thorns while his two sisters howled with laughter.

Natalia stopped as she saw a small dot running away towards the southern border of America, "Dere he goes!" she yelled.

"Vell, go get him!" Ivan said wincing in pain as tried to pull out the thorns.

"No vay I'm going in dere!" Natalia said.

Katyusha nodded, "You zink ve vant to come out looking like you?" she asked trying to keep from laughing.

"But ve have to finish ze job!" Ivan protested.

Natalia snorted, "He's as good as dead out zere anyvay; and if he does come back, ve'll kill him." Natalia declared.

"You hear dat kid! If you ever come back, VE'LL KILL YOU!" Ivan yelled out as the speck that was Alfred disappeared into the setting sun.

That night, a funeral was held at the Mansion. Everyone was crushed that they had lost Ludwig, and even more shocked to hear that Alfred had died as well and his body could not be found.

At the funeral, Gilbert stood in front of the coffin that held his dead brother, "My brudder was a great Leader, his death vas a horrible loss," he said, "But to lose Alfred as vell, who vas so young, so full of life, it is a deep and personal loss for many."

The other Leaders hung their heads as many of the female nations began to weep. Rachel closed her eyes as tears fell down her face as Kiku held her close in comfort. Arthur stood as silent tears streamed down his cheeks as Francis put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort the man. Both Rachel and Arthur were especially devastated by the loss of Alfred.

Alfred; Rachel's best friend, whom she had known and loved her whole life, was now gone just like that. She almost wished she could've been there at the stampede, so she could die with him.

Arthur clenched his fists in both anger and sorrow. Why? Why did they have to take Alfred? His little brother, the boy he had raised and protected all those years? He would never love anyone like he did Alfred. He said he would be back, and he never did. Arthur closed his eyes as the tears refused to stop. There was a hole in his heart; a hole that could never be filled. Not now; not ever again.

Everyone looked up as Gilbert spoke again, "So, it is vith a heavy heart zat I assume Leadership of America; but out of the ashes of zis tragedy, ve vill rise again to face a new era; an era where Soviets join ze vorld vith us!" Gilbert said.

Everyone gasped as Natalia, Ivan, and Katyusha entered the courtyard with other Soviet citizens and Leaders following close behind.

Feliciano laid face-down on his bed as the night continued. He couldn't bear to go the Ludwig's funeral. After he heard the news about Ludwig and Alfred, he locked himself in his room and cried without stopping all day.

Eventually he heard a knocking at his door, "Feli? C'mon Feli come out, you've been there all day," it was his older brother Lovino, the Leader of Southern Italy.

Even though Lovino hated Germany and Ludwig, he still cared for his little brother. At first he had left him alone for a while to let it out, but when he wouldn't come down to eat pasta, he began to worry.

"C'mon Feli, you need to eat something," Lovino tried again.

"Go away," Feil mumbled.

"You can't stay in there forever you know." Lovino said.

"Just go away fratello." Feli responded. Lovino sighed and walked away. Feli got up from his bed and his eyes fell on the drawing of baby Alfred in his closet. More hot tears came to his eyes as he ripped down the drawing, crumbled it up, and threw it in the corner of the room.

AN: TT^TT WAAAAAAAHHHHHH! I KILLED GERMANY! I FEEL SO HORRIBLE!
Poor Alfred! Poor FELI! He'll never forgive me now!

And poor Arthur! He lost his little brother! He's SO gonna curse me for this! T_T Not to mention Rachel is gonna KILL me!

*goes to a dark corner to cry and grow mushrooms*