Chapter 30

The sky darkened, and no one could see except for the glow around Norway. He advanced upon Russia and strode forward until the two were inches apart.

"You will never lay a finger on anyone in my family again," Norway lifted his hand and the air grew colder. He pressed the hand to Russia's throat and said, "You aren't even a nation anymore, Ivan. You are broken and looking for someone to hurt. Why don't we hurt you for a change. You deserve it."

Norway's eyes were stone cold; they could have belonged to a dead man. Except everyone knew. They all knew there was enough hate inside Norway to destroy the Earth another hundred times. Norway brought his hand backwards, then lifted it straight in the air. Russia's body followed, and the large nation flew ten feet into the air.

But before he could do anything else, another person joined them.

"Stop!" The person shouted. "Stop it, all of you! Are you idiots?"

Everyone turned. Before them stood an ex-nation with white hair and bright red eyes. An ex-nation they all believed to be dead.

"Don't you see what you are doing? You are destroying the Earth with your war, and you are only going to destroy it more! We are all dying because of this! Like Belarus was trying to say, you are all so tied to your government's obligations that you don't see the person inside of you anymore! You wouldn't hate each other so much if you saw this. You are ruthlessly trying to kill each other, but for what? It's only causing more death where you don't want it. What have you come to? This isn't what being a nation is about! You are supposed to lead, to provide betterment for your people. Yet you have killed them all! Why can't you see that? Everyone is dead because you have worked for your country in all the wrong ways! And does that even matter now? No! We are mortal! We can die. We are not connected to anything but the very land we are standing on and the way you are going, that will be gone soon too. But if you want that to happen, then be my guest! Please keep fighting! All of you want nothing more than to die!" Prussia glared at everyone, and Norway slowly lowered Russia to the ground. The ex-nation continued. "I have learned a lesson during these past few years with America. I saw the destruction and the chaos that you caused, and it is sickening. You are supposed to be friends, a united world! But no, you have to go and hate each other for things that humans have done! Humans began destroying the world. Humans led it into war. Humans polluted it. But then you decided to lead it on! You took another step, crossed the line. Each and every one of you wanted to fix the world and show your power over your bosses, but you failed. None of you did it, and all you ended up doing was making things worse. You had the chance to bring peace and to stop the land from deteriorating. You could have amended broken bonds. Russia- Ivan- you were friends with America when you two first met. But you let your men drive hatred between you two! He's dead now because of you! Alfred died because of all the problems your nation started, and you led them on! You let your people destroy the last bit of your friendship! And Finland, where were you when Sweden fell? Why didn't you help? You love him, damn, you two were even on the same side of the war! But look at this! Look at what you did! You didn't care for him like the human side of you did. You let the human part of you die when he died. Denmark, I listened. I know you want to help your people. But hurting Norway is not the answer to that. Don't let them convince you to lead them to kill Norway. Because that is what they want. You are only hurting him for trying to help you. You only ended up out here by your own fault, and you are only destroying yourself by not forgiving him." Prussia finally turned to Ludwig. "Germany… Bruder, don't say anything. You did nothing to stop them when you could have. You didn't warn them what this can do. You know what a killer is, and what following one can do to a nation, to other nations, but you never showed them that danger! You could have stopped it, but you were weak. And Italy-" Prussia paused once more. "Wait, where is he?"

Lovino stepped forward. "I am all that is left of Italy."

"But Veneziano! Where is he? Why isn't he here?" Prussia's eyes widened.

"He's dead," Ludwig said.

Prussia whipped around to face him again, "What did you do to him? Why did you let him die?"

"He left me to look for Germany and no one has seen him since. The lands he was wandering through poison people if you are exposed to sunlight. He was improperly dressed. We never found a body," Lovino explained.

"I know that," Prussia snapped. "I travelled through there, but Germany? He was looking for you? How did you let that happen? You let the nation who trusted you most die. He was almost my brother. I raised him when others couldn't. I helped him through the loss of Holy Rome! And you just let him go like that?" Tears filled GIlbert's eyes.

"Not everyone is flawless, Gilbert. Not everyone survives war."

"You think I don't know that."

"You do, and this is why you should understand that the war was inevitable. The losses were inevitable. Everything was inevitable."

Gilbert glared at his brother. "War is not inevitable. We could be peaceful. Sometimes people fight, but whole nations should not battle over stupid things. This war only made worse what it was trying to make better. That was not inevitable. That was failure. Stupidity. I know people die, but they shouldn't die when they don't have to. Italy could still be alive if it wasn't for you. Mein Gott, everyone could be alive and we wouldn't have to be talking about this."

"But we wouldn't be able to live normal lives. We had to experience this at one point, da?" Russia spoke up.

Gilbert watched him with a steady gaze. "No, we did not. This was the stuff of nightmares. We have experienced enough smaller pieces of this to know what this would bring. We did not have to put it all together. There was a reason you and America did not start fighting with arms in the 1960s. You knew millions if not billions would die. But you still started this war."

"Russia is right," Ludwig cut in. "This would have happened eventually. The humans would have done it even if we didn't."

"But nations led this on," Denmark rasped. He was sitting up now and leaning against Norway. "We used magic. We went beyond. We did things we knew not to do just to turn the war in our favor, or we did it to survive. I was stuck out here because Norway put a spell on his house to protect him from his own people because they were turning against him. He keeps anyone who is not a nation out, and because I lost my land and people, I was unable to get back in after leaving. It was because I discovered a small pocket of people that still called themselves Danes that I was able to get inside. He put shields up to stop Russia from bombing him. All he wanted was to live and to stay out of it. We have brought this upon ourselves."

"And we must put an end to it," Prussia declared. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Then he turned to Norway. "These people need a place to stay. May we use your mansion?"

Norway nodded. "If I can lift the spell, then yes."

"But you used magic a minute ago! You can use it now!" Sealand piped up.

Norway nodded. "That came out when I could not control my anger, and I have little control of magic now, but I will see what I can do."

"Denmark has some spells!" Sealand pulled out a few sheets of paper. "I saved them after we got in."

Norway looked at the writing. "These are ancient Danish spells. Mostly gibberish."

"But they worked a little. And I have no magic," Denmark coughed. Norway looked worriedly at the Dane and read the papers more deeply.

"I will have to try them," he said, and walked up the hill to face the barrier. He placed a single hand on it and closed his eyes. He whispered something, then opened his eyes and said something else. He slid his hands across the invisible wall in a pattern, then muttered one more thing. Finally, he turned around to face everyone. "I made a door. You may enter here if you have ever been a nation of any size. I cannot take it all down because we would not last in a storm, but you should be able to get in now."

The nations and ex-nations looked at one another and rushed indoors. Finland helped Denmark inside and Norway rushed to his aid. In the end, Ludwig and GIlbert were the only two left outside.

"Bruder…" Ludwig watched as Gilbert turned around.

The older ex-nation smiled. "It is good to see you again."

"How did you survive?"

"I don't know, actually. I should have died many times. But I didn't."

"What happened in America?"

"America took care of me until England came. Soon after that, America's capital fell and floods took his house away. He and England drowned, but I somehow made it out alive. I woke up in a graveyard and swore I was finally dead, Ludwig. It was crazy!"

"But you came here."

"I once sailed for many years. Wasn't too hard." But Prussia's smile said differently. "The heat was intense in southern Europe. Started to come north. Ran into Austria and he was practically a zombie. Would have been awesome if it were fake," he chuckled.

Ludwig frowned, but said nothing.

"Hey, bruder, it's okay! We are both okay," GIlbert smiled and clapped his brother's back. "We made it."

"Ja, we did," Ludwig let out a small smile, and GIlbert brightened. He made some more remarks about his "awesome journey," and the two ventured inside with the other nations.

Downstairs, everyone gathered and ate in Norway's living room. Cheers and the clinking of glasses as people toasted filled the air. Nations sang and danced, but Lovino stood in the corner and stared out the window.

A moment later, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder.

"What do you want?" He grumbled but did not turn around.

"Are you not going to have fun on this awesome night?" Prussia. Of course.

Lovino turned around. "What fun is there to be had? We are safe for today, but who knows how long that will last? And my fratello is dead."

"Exactly. We are safe only for now. We should enjoy it more," Gilbert said. Then he lowered his voice. "I saw your brother."

Lovino stared at Gilbert. "How? He is dead."

"He wasn't always dead. When my awesomeness was injured in Austria, Veneziano saved me. I didn't realize it was him until he was leaving near the end of my recovery."

"Did… Did he say anything?" Lovino asked.

Gilbert hesitated.

"What did he say?"

Gilbert sighed. "Not much."

"I asked what he said. What did he say?"

"He told me to say… to say good-bye."

"To me?"

"Not… exactly…"

"To Germany?"

Gilbert looked down.

"He told you to say good-bye to that potato bastard, but not to his own flesh and blood?"

When Gilbert continued to say nothing, Lovino rose his voice, "Tell me, you bastard! Tell me that is not true! Tell me Veneziano said something about me!"

People grew quiet and started to stare.

"He could have said something. I don't remember much. He could have said your name too. Or he already told you good-bye," Gilbert took a step back.

"That's a lie," Lovino whispered and fled the room.

A few minutes later, Ludwig found Lovino on the back porch. "May I sit?" He asked, and Lovino shrugged. After a moment of silence, Ludwig said, "I'm sure Feliciano said something about you that Gilbert does not remember."

"I'm sure he did not."

"Feliciano was probably talking about you the entire time he healed Gilbert."

"Why are you calling him by his human name?"

"The same reason you are Lovino and not Romano." Lovino huffed, and Ludwig continued. "He talked about you a lot to me before and even during the war. He loved you. You were a dear brother to him."
"You didn't feel that Gilbert was alive."

"What?"

"You said it. That you knew he was dead. That you did not feel him being alive anymore. Yet here he is."

"What about that?"

"Vene- Feliciano could still be out there. I could leave and find him."

"He is gone, Lovino."

"But what if he isn't?"

"If he was alive, he would have found his way here."

"I'm going to look for him." Lovino stood.

Ludwig shook his head. "It is too dangerous."

"I can handle myself now."

"You've come close to dying before."

"If I die I will pray I find my fratello again in heaven one day." Lovino took a few steps forward and headed away from the house. "Besides, no one cares about me here. I won't be missed."

"I care about you."

Lovino stopped.

"You are family here."

"You say that because of Feliciano."

"But I know you well too."

"...Bastard." Lovino turned around and faced Ludwig. Without looking at him he slipped past him and walked inside.

Upstairs, Norway, Finland, and Sealand sat with Denmark as he slept in bed. Norway dressed his wounds and set the bone in his arm. Finland looked worriedly down at the sleeping Dane.

"He's recovered from worse," Norway said, "but I hope he remembers this one."

"I never knew you three were alive," Finland breathed. "I thought it was just me."

"We've been struggling, but we survive," Norway replied as he felt Denmark's head. He had a slight fever, which worried Norway, but he tried to push it out of his mind as he set a damp cloth on the Dane's forehead.

"You should come back with me," Finland said. "I have a settlement with my people. They have been missing me while I escorted some nations here. You would love it there. It's much better than this place. Less… haunted."

Norway sighed. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I will stay here. Denmark could never make the journey. He is too hurt now, and I fear he will never regain full health again."

"We could find a way to transport him. Besides, he is strong," Finland suggested.

Norway shook his head.

"But you know it is possible."

"To carry two people?"

Finland started to say something, stopped, paused, then finally said, "What do you mean two people?"

"I am too weak as well. Walking up and down the stairs is already an effort, and after the magic I used, I feel more tired than ever. Even if Denmark can make the trip, I don't have the energy too. And I don't want to be left alone here."

"But Denmark is unhappy here."

"He will be unhappy anywhere that is not his home."

"We can make Finland his home. I can find more habitable land and lead his people there. Denmark will be a nation once more."

"And I will be left with nothing."

"Norway, don't be so selfish."

"Fin, you don't understand. Denmark and I are barely holding on. I believe those people are mine, and that is all that is keeping me alive. If I were to give them up, I would be giving up what little strength I do have, and that would kill me. I know he should have those people, but I can't give them to him because it would cost me my life. He, on the other hand is strong enough to live on."

"But you have land."

"Barely."

"And you can find people. If this is one of the most habitable place left on the planet, then you can find your people."

"I don't have the strength to."

"But you can find that strength by looking for those that give you strength."

"And they are right here."

"No, Norway, they are not."

"They are, and by sharing them with Denmark, I am keeping both of us alive. We are one nation now."

Finland shook his head, knowing there was no way to argue with Norway. The broken country had made up his mind, and he was perhaps more stubborn than even Denmark. "You're only going to hurt yourself, Norway."

Norway said nothing. His eyes had gone blank once more and he dabbed the cloth on Denmark's head once more. The sleeping Dane finally stirred and moaned.

"Den?" Norway whispered.

"Norge?" Denmark mumbled.

"How do you feel?"

"Pretty terrible, not gonna lie," Denmark tried to laugh but flinched.

Norway sighed, and Denmark added, "I heard what you said to Fin."

"Den, there is no way we can make it to Finland."

"I don't want to go."

"What?" Norway was taken aback.

"I'll stay with you. And when I am strong enough, I will find your people for you. We both deserve to be a nation."

Norway watched Denmark for a moment and finally said, "Thank you."

Denmark gave him a weak smile before falling back asleep. Norway looked up at Finland. "He'll be fine." Finland nodded, and Norway added, "Sealand, would you like to go with Finland?"

"Can I?" Sealand's eyes widened and he jumped up.

"Of course you may," Norway replied and Sealand smiled up at Finland.

"We'll get to be together again! It'll be so much fun! Uncle Den has gotten so much more boring. He used to be so much fun, but now I don't get to do anything fun."

"I'd have to say that's a good thing," Finland chuckled as Sealand rambled about his time with Denmark and Norway. The three smiled at one another, and Denmark sighed in his sleep. Everything would be okay. They were together at last, a once broken family. Norway stood and left the room. Denmark mumbled, "Norge, don't go…" and Norway rolled his eyes. "I'm only getting dinner. I'm coming back," he said, but when Norway turned away, he was smiling.

~The End~