Sorry this is a little late, but I wanted to make sure the quality was good. I hope you like it! And it's a little depressing in some parts, just a warning. I DON'T OWN Hetalia. Yeah.
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Turning the World Upside Down
Chapter 12: A Strand of Red String
"Holy... Roman Empire?" repeated Germany, his brow creasing. The name sounded familiar somehow. Italy smiled back at his blank expression, nodding his head vigorously.
"That's right! That was his name! Hungary stole a camera one time and took a picture of him. I keep it in my wallet, if you want to see it." Germany felt a blush heating his face for no particular reason. Why the heck was he blushing? It didn't make any sense.
"I...I want to see it," Germany heard himself mumble. He wasn't really paying attention any more and his headache had increased tenfold. Italy reached around in his pocket, pulling out a coupon for a free pasta dinner, three peppermints, a dog biscuit, Hungary's favorite pink hair clip, and finally, a brown leather wallet.
"Here it is!" he cried triumphantly, reaching around inside and pulling out an old photograph. The lighting wasn't particularly good, and it was taken with one of those old cameras that immediately pops out the picture surrounded by a white box, so it wasn't distinct as a digital camera photo would have been. However, Germany could make out two figures- a boy and what appeared to be a girl. They were holding hands and beaming at each other with the happiness only childhood innocence can create.
"That's me and that's him," Italy chirped, pointing at the figures in the picture.
"...You were wearing a dress." he said in a deadpan voice. Italy merely shrugged.
"Dresses were fun to walk around in! Plus, the apron made cleaning easier!"
Germany wanted to say something, but he felt another headache coming on, stronger than the other ones had been so far. His vision began to black out and once he was unconscious, a scene began to play in his head. It was the two kids from before, standing in a dirty alley, their hands clasped tightly together.
"Do you really have to go?" Italy asked Holy Romano Empire, blinking back tears from his huge brown eyes. Holy Roman Empire smiled sadly at Chibitalia, squeezing the other boy's hands. He hated it when Italy cried like that.
"I don't want to, but we can't pay the rent. Daddy died and Prussia isn't old enough to work yet. So we can't live near here anymore." He backtracked hastily when he saw tears begin to trickle down the other child's rosy cheeks. "I'll come back. I promise!" he said confidently. "When I come back, I'll marry you! Okay?"
Chibitalia blushed and smiled through his tears. "Okay," he said, trying to summon up his bright, sunny smile. It managed to surface but still wobbled slightly and Holy Roman Empire began to dig in his pocket for something. He ended up pulling out a small red string. He took Chibitalia's hand and tied the string around his fourth finger.
"Here," he said with another comforting smile. "This will have to do until I can get a real ring. Don't get married to anyone else until I come back. You're gonna be MY bride. I WILL come back."
"You promised, right?" Chibitalia asked. Holy Romano Empire nodded. "Can you promise again?"
"I promise, I promise, I promise!" he said triumphantly. "Don't forget me, okay?"
"I won't ever forget you," Chibitalia promised. Holy Roman Empire lightly pecked him on the lips and both of them pulled away, blushing furiously. The giggled with each other, not noticing the snap of a picture being taken.
"Holy Roman Empire!" came the bored voice of Prussia. "Get a move on! I'm not waiting for you all day!" Holy Roman Empire looked anxiously back at Prussia, then turned to Chibitalia again.
"I have to go. Don't forget me!" he said, his hands reluctantly slipping out of the brunette's grip. Chibitalia began to cry again, but smiled hugely through his tears.
"I promise! Come back soon!" he said, clasping his hands together.
"I will! I'll think about you every day!" He said, waving goodbye and beginning to tear up a little himself.
--
Everything hurt. Holy Roman Empire was lying sprawled on his crosswalk, unable to comprehend anything other than the pain he felt. He distantly heard someone crying. It took him a few minutes before he realized that the thin, wailing sobs were his. Dimly, he felt Prussia leaning over him, holding his hand.
"Don't worry, brother. You don't have to worry. I'm here. I'll take care of you now." Everything in his head was fuzzy and he dimly felt his consciousness slipping away.
"Prussia," he groaned.
"I'm here, little brother. I'm here."
"Don't let me forget," he said, trying desperately to think through the haze of agony. It was difficult, like wading through maple syrup.
"Forget what?"
"Ch-Chibitalia. Don't let me forget her," he mumbled. With that, he fell into the blackness eagerly consuming his mind. And little Italy, who had witnessed the entire thing with a look of absolute terror on his small face, could do nothing except cling to Hungary and weep as he felt his heart slowly breaking into shattered, painful chunks.
--
Holy Roman Empire dimly woke up to an annoying beep. While at first he found it incredibly irritating, he began to appreciate it as it reminded him that he was still alive. He opened his eyes a few hours later, but all he could see was a wall of black in front of his vision. A few minutes later, the black dissipated and Holy Roman Empire blinked in confusion at the cramped little hospital room he was in. He looked at the person across from him in confusion, trying to remember who he was. He seemed oddly familiar.
As if feeling his gaze, the other boy awoke. "You're finally awake!" he said, breaking into a smile.
"Who are you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes and trying to remember. His head hurt like crazy. "And who am I?"
The red-eyed boy looked at him in surprise. "I'm Prussia, your older brother. Don't you remember anything?"
"Not really. If you're Prussia, who am I?"
"Germany," Prussia said after a pause and a small smirk. Holy Roman Empire scrunched up his young face, barely remembering a rounded, crying face with adorable brown eyes and hair.
"Did we ever have a sister?" he asked uncertainly. Prussia gave him a weird look.
"No, we lived alone. Just you, me, and Dad. He's dead now."
"I see," said 'Germany' uncertainly. The one memory of his past slipped out of his head and he fell into a restless, nightmare-filled sleep. When he woke up he knew he was Germany, Prussia was his brother, and he never met or even heard of anyone named 'Chibitalia'.
--
"Germany!" a whiny voice cried. The blond groaned lightly, opening his eyes to find Italy a centimeter away from his face.
"AAH!" he yelled in surprise. Italy ignored him.
"Are you okay? You just passed out!"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, dazed. Italy was Chibitalia. ITALY was CHIBITALIA. That meant that his first love was not only a boy, but the really ditzy, wimpy, adorable boy standing over him. His life was rapidly beginning to turn into a bad fanfiction.
"Come on, I'll take you to the nurse," Italy said, hauling Germany up by his arm and beginning to walk to the nurse's office. Germany easily kept pace. Suddenly, Germany looked down at Italy's hand and saw a small worn red string tied around his fourth finger. Germany smiled to himself and reached out, holding Italy's hand. Italy looked at Germany with confusion, then smiled hugely. The entire hallway began to whisper among themselves.
"Oh my god! Germany's holding HANDS!"
"This is worse than Austria blushing!"
"WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND PRUSSIAS FIRST! EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES!"
"GET TO CLASS!" barked Germany and Italy laughed. Germany's face softened at the sound, light and carefree and bubbling like hot water for pasta. He dimly remembered Chibitalia's crying face and blinked it away. Italy wasn't ever going to cry over him again. Not if he still had anything to say about it. He brushed his thumb against the red string and continued to walk, a gentle smile sliding across his face. Italy noticed it and smiled back, and anyone who saw it would almost say they looked like little children, grinning indulgently at each other like a scene from the past. At least, Hungary would. But she was a little busy taking pictures at the moment.
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Next chapter will probably be an Omake or something. I'm not entirely sure. Oh well. See you guys tomorrow!