-Don't count on it.-
-My sources say no.-
-Very doubtful.-
-Better not tell you now.-
-Kolkolkolkolkolkol...-
-Outlook not so good.-
-Ask again later.-
Finland's eyes were red and swollen as he slammed the last Magic 8 Ball down on the Wal-Mart shelf, collapsed to his knees and wept uncontrollably. A crowd of concerned onlookers had gathered when Finland had been pulling each and every one of the eight balls of the shelf and asking it if his true love was inside. Now they stepped away, feeling both immense pity and extreme discomfort.
"IT'S ALL MY FAULT! HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID TO THINK THERE WAS REALLY AN ESCAPE VEHICLE THAT I HAD TO GET READY? I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HE WOULD LIE TO PROTECT ME! I LET MY ONE TRUE LOVE DIE!"
Estonia was a snowflake away from snapping himself. He knelt down next to Finland and put a hand on his shoulder. "Finland, please don't blame yourself. It was my fault. I was worried about you so I went to talk to Lithuania and Mr. Russia overheard me. Finland, I'm so sorry, I-"
"He's never coming back..." Finland sobbed as he held his face in his trembling hands. "Never! Never ever! I should have never left his side! I should have died with him, Estonia...I should have died."
"But Finland, he wanted you to live-"
"I don't deserve to live! I don't want to live! All that's left in life for me is the guilt that I let my one true love die and that sense of loss that only went away when the Magic 8 Ball was around."
Estonia had no comparison for the despair he felt watching his friend suffer. He also felt pressure from the store security staff, who had just showed up on the scene to see what was causing all the ruckus.
"Come on Finland..." Estonia lifted his friend up to his feet "Let's get you home."
Finland allowed himself to be led out of the store, too empty to fight or care what happened. The loss from two Christmas seasons ago was here to stay. More than an eight ball had been destroyed in the explosion that took down Russia, Finland's own soul had gone up in smoke along with the rest of it.
Sweden was not doing a terrible lot better as he watched his true love's misery from Roman Empire's dead person camera.
"That is a too sad for me to make a toga joke about," Roman Empire sighed as he strummed a melancholy tune on his guitar. "I can't even...this just really, really sucks."
"Yah."
"But I mean, no offense, but he should get over it eventually right? And you kept him alive, you should be happy for that, yes?"
"Didn't want him to live like this-" Sweden sighed sadly as he watched Finland pull out the vodka and sugar cookies and try to drown his sorrows in booze and junk food.
"Well look on the bright side-as long as he's alive he still has a chance to find some purpose in life. Maybe it won't feel complete because he misses you, but it will still be something. And you, since you died selflessly, get to have your wish back. You could a use it to enter heaven, turn Denmark into a Magic 8 Ball...there's quite a bit you can do!"
"...because he still misses you..."
"I know what my wish is," Sweden said suddenly.
"Roman Empire turned his head "Oh, what is it Sweden my friend?"
"Erase me."
"WHAT!?"
"Erase me from existence entirely, including Finland's memory, especially Finland's memory. I want my last wish to be Finland's complete happiness and safety, without me. Erase my soul, restore his. This is all I want..."
A single tear ran down Sweden's face. "This is all I want...I just want Finland to be happy."
Roman Empire's eyes were not completely dry at this point either. This couldn't be the way it ended, it just couldn't be. He couldn't look his grandson in the eye ever again if he let this happen without at least trying to keep it from ending like this.
"Sweden, if that is what you wish, then it will be so. You've died a martyr's death...twice now...so your last wish can not be denied. But I have a proposal for you...maybe you and Finland have a shot at happiness together just yet."
Sweden's eyes narrowed. "I won't play a game of risk with m' wife's happiness, even if it was for a chance to be with him again."
Roman Empire waved his hands in front of him and shook his head "No! No no no my friend, that's not the deal. This is just an experiment, yes? If it goes well, you and Finland live together in complete and total happiness again. If it doesn't, your original wish will be carried out. You will be erased, Finland will forget completely and live a life of happiness without you. Either way Finland's happiness is ensured. What do you say? You want to give it a try?"
"Hmm..." Sweden thought again of the feeling of Finland's soft, perfect fingers interlaced through his own… those bright brown eyes looking up at him as if nobody else in the world even existed…
A chance to have that all again...with Finland's happiness ensured either way...
"I guess yah."