Sorry guys! I wrote this MONTHS ago, but have gotten caught up in life, which for me is college. My major is HISTORY! 3 Anyways, I have actually been working on other Hetalia fanfics, just not on . I post them on the Hetalia communities on Livejournal.

Alfred eagerly awaited for Arthur to begin. Arthur chuckled then opened Ivan.

"Read the end of Ivan, Arthur!"

"Are you sure, Prince Alfred?" Arthur asked.

Alfred quickly nodded his head and snuggled under the covers more. He turned to smile at me then took my hand under the blankets and gave a small squeeze. It was weak, but I hoped that reading from Ivan would keep Alfred's spirits up and give him more strength.

"Well don't get all weepy then." Arthur tsked and bent his head down, staring at the pages. "You remember that Ivan is only twenty when his story ends?"

Alfred and I nodded.

At the end of the epic, Ivan and his love, Nadyusha, were fighting against the monsters all alone. At the start, King Germania and his people helped out beating back the enemy. Over time, however, the brave became cowards.

"The final episode begins when Ivan and Nadyusha set camp outside of the village Polnia. Ivan goes off to get more weapons while Nadyusha begins to hunt for their dinner."

Alfred gave a nod and smiled sadly. Gilbert sat up straighter on the bed and leaned forward eagerly.

Arthur continued. "When Ivan returns, he hears Nadyusha cry out for help. He races to their camp to find her surrounded by goblins, and not another soul in sight.

"I will begin to read now.

"Two Goblins lay dead,
Entrails spilling
On the riverbank.
Two Goblins staggerd
And reeled, faces slashed.
Ivan laughed. His love
Was a doughty warrior."

Alfred licked his lips and pushed himself up more.

"Six Goblins still
Set upon Nadyusha, feasting
On her living flesh.
Nadyusha, down upon
Her dimpled knees,
Fought on, but
Her life's blood poured
Into the brown-dry earth.
Ivan's laughter died, and
Never again did Ivan laugh
Or smile in Russ."

Arthur's voice cracked and he bent his head even lower over the book. Alfred started to recite softly, but slowly his voice gained in volume and power.

"Though Goblins bit and clawed
And set upon him, too,
Ivan reached his love
And knelt and tried
To stanch the rush
Of her heart's red blood."

I started to cry. Today, even though I heard this part countless times before, it seemed to affect me more.

Arthur started to read again. Ivan caressed Nadyusha's head and, with choked sobs, told her he loved her. She raised her head weakly and spoke out for the last time, saying she'd known he would never leave her. Then she slowly closed her eyes, never to open again.

Tears streamed down my face and I looked over to see even Gilbert was crying. A wracked sob startled me and I turned my head to my brother who was bawling.

"I don't want to die," Alfred's voice whimpered out. "I do-don't want to die!"

I threw my arms tightly around my brother as if he were my last life-line and Arthur flew up and over to Alfred on his other side, kissing the top of his head.

"Don't cry my love!"

"Con-continue Arthur," Alfred shuddered. "I want to hear the end. Just...in a second."

We waited. I rubbed my brothers back softly as he clung to the front of my tunic, tears falling down upon my shoulder. After a few minutes Alfred ave one last sniffle and pulled away from me, although he did not let go of my shirt.

"I'm fine now! Get to it Arthur! Crying is just part of the adventure."

Arthur got up and went back to his chair in front of the bed. He opened Ivan once more and began to read.

"A monster pecked
At Nadyusha's dead lips.
Ivan arose in fury and
Slew it with one sweep
Of his angry sword."

Ivan, in a horrifying rage, slaughtered the rest of the Goblins and living creatures near them. When all was quiet, save for Ivan's wracking wails, the gates of the Polnia village opened, and the villagers stepped out in fear. Ivan waved his sword and stomped up to them.

"'Come you now?' roared the hero.
'Come you now, when all need
Is past? Come you now,
When my love is dead?'
Frightened, the villagers
Drew back and whispered
Among themselves, their voices
Dry as salt."

Ivan gently picked up his dead love and turned his back on the village. He started to walk away when an old woman hobbled over to him. She asked in a small voice if he would return to their aid in times of need.

"Ivan told the woman,
'Russ will see no more of me
Until the timid
Go forth with the strong.
But while her heroes
Still fight alone,
Russ will see no more of me.'"

Alfred gave my hand another squeeze and I stroked his wrist with my thumb. It was odd- I never connected Ivan's vow with the Specter's prophsy until now. Alfred began to whisper along with Arthur.

"Ivan went then
Into the mountains,
Carrying Nadyusha,
Bold spirit, lost love.
And he was no more
Seen in Russ.

"Now, when specter haunts,
Or dragon flames,
Or Goblin attacks,
Russ fights alone.
Ivan, the laugher,
Tall among men,
Is gone.
But the tale has not
Run out-not yet.
So be brave, Russ!
Go forth, Russ,
The timid with the strong.
Let not your heroes
Fight alone.
Then one day,
In the spring of the year
When monsters are hunting,
A hero will come,
A laugher,
Tall among men.
Ivan, hero of Russ,
Will return.
So rise up, Russ!
Be brave, Russ!
Be worthy, Russ,
Of your hero's return."

Arthur and Alfred finished and Arthur closed the book. Gilbert wiped at his eyes and tried to not look like he had cried, while I still held my brothers hand. I never wanted to let go.

Hope you liked! I will try to start back up this fanfic! 3