Chapter 15

"Nein! You're wrong! Ludwig's trail goes this way!" Gilbert angrily stated to the Frenchman pointing to a fork in the trail with his flashlight in his good arm. His other arm in a handmade sling that England made out of a ripped bed sheet.
"Yeah, and 'ow do you know that'? The Frenchman argued shivering.
"Instincts just trust me. I'm his older brother we share a bond, and plus he was with me when the avalanche hit."
"Uh-huh, oui? And can your 'instincts' tell you exactly where he is? Because, I for one, would like to go find him and go home as quickly as possible. This was such a stupid idea, why did I even come with you guys in the first place?" France threw his arms up in anger, glaring at the albino. "Actually, why did I come here at all? Why did we have to listen to America to come here in the first place! Christmas is tomorrow and I could be at home in France by a beautiful hand carved fireplace drinking a nice red wine but noooo~." Francis complained.
"We came to have fun, and plus America just wanted to get to know us all better isn't that what this is all for?" Gilbert said quietly to the boisterous country.
"Well, look what good it did us in the end? huh!" Francis said interrupting the Prussian. "That stupid American is the reason we are all split up looking for missing people in the first place! And I just had to be polite in my nature to come with you two out in the cold. I'd rather be looking for Spain. Better yet, I would love to be sitting next to a fire right now! It's-goddamit it's fr-freezing out here." Francis said, frowning at the slowly falling snow."
"THAT'S ENOUGH! You're not at home, so deal with it!" Feliciano snapped, fists balled up and the look on Gilbert and Francis's face were that of pure shock.
"F-Feli?" Both France and Prussia stated in the same confused tone.
"Come on, just pick a way to go and if it's not right then we'll just have to turn around and come back to the other one. Let's just find my brother ok? I can't handle you guys fighting anymore! Or would you rather split up and search Francis? Then once again and have less people and thin ourselves out. Well, which one is it?" Feli spat angrily toward the Frenchman and France had no idea that Feliciano could even get this mad. He has truly seen a rare side of him.
"Uh, well I…I don't know…" Francis started to say, but Gilbert cut him off by saying
"H-hey! What about my brother? You seem so concerned for your brother but what about mine huh! Did you not think that I wanted to find him as well? I mean come on Feli you love Ludwig! What the hell is wrong with you?" Prussia angrily extended out toward the Italian man.
"Don't say something like that to me!" Feli said wildly. "I used to love being with him… 'used to' being the key words. But, he's not the man I thought he was, all he is, is a backstabbing lunatic! He and Japan are no friends of mine; at least that is what they said." He turned and wiped at the tears rolling down his face.
They...what the fuck was Feli talking about? From what Gil heard Ludwig telling him earlier and this now...the stories didn't add up...at all. Ludwig was sad that Feliciano didn't want to date him because Feli wasn't gay for him like that and that he lost a friend, but now Feliciano is saying that he was sad that Ludwig was a backstabbing friend who didn't like him. What was going on here? There must be some kind of explanation.
"Feli, what did my brother say to you?" The albino stopped walking and asked him as politely as he could, because the awesome Gil wanted some answers.
"H-he didn't say anything to me…" Italy sniffled. "I heard it while I was passing along. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was just on my way to tell Kiku goodnight and that's when I heard them. They were…talking about me behind my back…Those backstabbers; they were saying such mean things about me!"
"Did you listen to the whole conversation? Or ask them about it?" Gil asked, gesturing widely, movement in the restricted arm paining him, making him wincing slightly.
"I don't know but, from what I heard, I've had enough! They said that I'm useless and that all I do is make pasta and white flags. I make messes everywhere, and that I'm no help in times of war…all they do is put me down, but never once did they say anything about how great of a help I can be sometimes..." He trailed off as he wiped a couple of tears off his face with his sleeve.
"So, so I ran away from them and slammed my door shut and started packing to go home, I tried to call a taxi earlier today to come pick me up but… no one answered and the phone line was all screwy and disconnected. Then afterwards I tried to enjoy myself a little and that's when this happened, an avalanche came and-and I didn't have time to do anything… not even talk to Ludwig…not that I wanted to talk to him or anything because he thought I was so useless that I couldn't even put a snowman's head on."
"So…let me get this straight, you're saying that my brother and Kiku were in a bedroom talking behind your back saying mean things about you behind your back?" Prussia asked and Italy nodded.

"Yeah, that's right." Italy informed

"But,…if what you're saying is true then why is Ludwig's story so much different than yours, He told me that you were mad at him because he admitted that he loved you but you were mad at him because you were straight… He told me that he was depressed because he lost his best friend. Ludwig might be a jerk, but he really cares for you Feli. He was so distraught when you wouldn't talk to him and shut the door in his face."
"Yeah I know he's a jerk and-wait what?" Italy said, now beyond confused. "Germany loves me?"
"Yeah, you didn't know? He told me that he came into your room to tell you that he loves you but you started yelling at him to get out and that you couldn't believe you'd think of him that way."
"Wait, what? But…but Luddy said it, I heard him! He was talking to Kiku…This doesn't make any sense! You're-you're lying…you have to be…there's no other way." Italy half-heartedly said actually hoping it was true. But why would Ludwig say that then…If Gilbert's telling the truth then I need to find Luddy! I need to see and hear this for myself! I need to know if it's true! If Ludwig dies without me knowing for sure, oh god I-I don't want to think about that!
"Ita?" Prussia's voice cut through Feli's thoughts.
"Huh, oh um, well if what you're saying is true, then why did Ludwig put me down? Why did he and Kiku backstab me?" Italy questioned.
"Well, you must not have listened to the whole thing then. I bet Ludwig was comparing you to them; that you are stupid, messy, lazy, and worst of all a horrible fighter but I bet you ran away after that didn't you?" Prussia stated.
"I-I-" Italy stuttered.
"You probably didn't hear what he said next did you?" Prussia said as Italy shook his head.
"Even though you're all those things, Feli, Ludwig still loves you. He still cares about you; he just worries about you, that's all. He knows you're not the brightest, and you are a horrible fighter, that's why he trains you! He couldn't bear with the thought of losing you! In times of war he tries to protect you as much as possible. He knows you're an airhead and lose your train of thought easily but that's why he loves you! He loves you because you're so different from him. He loves you for who you are. He only cares what's best for you Italy. Have you ever stopped to think about all the training you go through? Have you?" Italy was quiet… just staring at the Prussian man, words forming at his mouth but getting all jumbled up and jumping back into his throat. Francis was also intriguingly interested in Prussia's story as he listened carefully.

"Italy, my brother loves you! He really does, he told me yesterday. He was a mess Feli, you really tore out his heart…the look on his face is a face that I never want to see my brother have ever again in his life! You got that? So what are you going to do now? Huh?" Prussia asked Feliciano somewhat impatiently.

"I, I don't know…" Italy mumbled, but as he was saying it, they all turned hearing something move in the distance.
"What is that?" Gilbert shrieked like a little girl, jumping up making his should shift a bit and rub him in the wrong way. A tall white blob suddenly appeared slowly walking up to them about 20 feet away.
"Hello? Wh-who's there?" Francis stuttered shaping out of his 'listening to Prussia's story mode' and jumping as the shadows shining on the rock. Italy just looked harder at the interesting shaped figure, shining his flashlight in the direction of the moving figure. After a couple more steps the shape started to identify itself more.
"Oh, why, hello there." Ivan, calmly yet out of breath said while brushing snow off of his jacket with one hand and holding a small polar bear in the other, to the frightened trio while coming around the bend.
"Oh, Ivan it's just you! And you have Kumajuro?…Kumataki!..." Feliciano beamed "Well whatever ve~ you're alive! Thank goodness…did you happen to see Ludwig or my brother down that way?" Italy sincerely asked.
"Ludwig and Romano, da? Hmm… no, sorry I have not seen them. Iv'e been looking for Canada all this time, but all that was down there was this little guy. Ivan stated pointing to Canada's Polar bear. "Do you need me to help you look? Since I'm already here..." Ivan asked.
"W-why yes that would be great!" Italy answered while the other two just looked at each other wondering why Ivan was being so nice, or was he always nice on the inside...
"Say Italy...have you seen Matthew around anywhere?" Ivan asked concerned for his fellow nation.
"No...I'm sorry but I haven't seen him anywhere it's been so dark I wouldn't know...We have flashlights though, wait a second I think I have an extra one in there somewhere..." Feliciano said while looked through his bag.
"Ve~ ok! Here you go!" Feli said as he pulled out a small flashlight. "Well let's get going. I wanna try finding them before morning. Let's go look for Ludwig, my brother, and Canada as well.

0000000000000000

Switzerland knocked on the door to Germany's room, a little bit later on in the night only to find the man wide awake on the bed. The German man sat up at first insight of the Swiss country and held his head.
"Something the matter?" Vash asked him, coming into the room, turning on the light, then sitting on the bed with him.
"I-I don't feel so good...I-I mean my stomach's fine but my head is killing me. It won't let me sleep because everytime I lay my head down , my head burns. I also keep seeing blurry visions and flashes of fuzzy looking people, I think it's people I know...but I don't know them." Germany stated as he looked over at Switzerland.
"Calm down, it's ok Ludwig, they're probably just memories just messing with your head getting you all confused. I'm sure that if I were to get you some medicine then you'll be just fine." The Swiss country calmly said to the burning up German.
"Y-yeah I guess that would work." the German man said back towards the other nation on the bed.
"Ok then, I'll be right back just stay where you are." Switzerland said as he was leaving the room.
Who were those people? It seems like maybe...maybe somehow I-I know them. A few minutes later Switzerland returned with a small pill and a glass of water half full. "Here you are." Vash said as he handed Ludwig the pill and glass of water. "This pill should help with that headache of yours." Ludwig held the pill in his hands and slowly leaned his head back and put it in his mouth and swallowed it, then took a swish of water.
"Good, now go back to sleep and remember I'm right next door if you need anything." and with that Germany nodded and Vash walked out of the room. When the Swiss nation walked into the hallway he accidentally ran into Liechtenstein all dressed in her nightgown.
"Lili! What are you doing here?"
"Well, you see big brother, I happened to hear some noise in the hallway and I just wanted to see what it was." Lili said out innocently as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, is that all...well I was just talking to our guest Ludwig that's all." "Ludwig is here?" Lili asked confused.

"Yes dear, Ludwig's in that room right there" Switzerland pointed to the closest door "but you see he lost his memories so I'm trying to help him out. And the reason you heard me a minute ago is because I just went in to give our guest some headache medicine."

"Oh, I see...I didn't know Ludwig had a headache."

"Yes , well I'll be going back to bed now, so goodnight sweetie."

"Oh, um goodnight big brother."

After that little meeting Switzerland went back down the hall and into his bedroom. Lili then went up to Ludwig's door to see how he was feeling and lightly knocked on the door. It opened up with a light touch and she walked inside only to see Germany panting and sweating.

"Who-who are you...do-do I know you?" he asked at first sight of the young woman. And when she nodded, he just looked up and her and sighed. "I'm sorry I don't know you, I can't seem to remember anyone..." Germany said while holding his head.

"Um, are you ok sir? You look awful...can I get you something?" Liechtenstein asked him politely.
"Actually...could you show me where the bathroom is? I-I don't feel so well." Ludwig stated towards the girl standing in the hallway.

"Why certainly, come on follow me." She said and Ludwig slowly got up from the bed and crossed the room in a half staggered stance. The two of the walked down the hallway a few steps until they came across the bathroom. It was a small bathroom with teal curtains around the washtub and a light blueish, teal border around the top of the wall. It was fairly clean and smelled of lilies. "Thank you miss." Ludwig said as he went into the bathroom.

"No problem Ludwig and please call me Lili. If you need anything just call me I'll be in the hallway." Lili said.

"Thank you for being so kind to me." Germany said to the smiling girl as he turned the bathroom light on and shut the door.

Afterwards Ludwig tumbled over to the mirror and look up at it. Why can't I remember anything? Ludwig thought and thought but the more he thought the more his head hurt and burned. He looked up into the mirror

Why are these people so nice? Was I a really good friend of theirs? I must have been close to them if they are going so far out of their way for me. Suddenly the Germans thoughts were corrupted when his head started burning and his stomach felt like it was doing flips. Ludwig ran over to the toilet and flipped the seat up and threw up inside of it. He hurled inside the bowl everything that he ate that day and it seemed to have kept on coming. Finally, a little bit later Ludwig got up and flushed the toilet, and just layed there on the soft fluffy rug of the bathroom floor. That was until he heard a little knock on the door once again and a small voice asking if he was ok. Germany gradually got up from the soft carpet and walked over to the door.

"Yeah I'm fine Lili...I just had to throw up that's all. My head was really hurting and I was getting all dizzy.

"Oh are you ok? Would you like some medicine? Liechenstien asked and Ludwig just shook his head. "No, Vash already gave me some earlier. I don't think my body likes pills..." Ludwig said as he rubbed his head.

"Pills? He made you take a pill, hmmm...well if I remember correctly we might still have some liquid bubble gum flavored medicine. Would you like that? I should go down better." Lili sweetly asked yet still curious.

"Yeah, sure that should work." Ludwig answered back.

"Ok follow me." Lili stated as she took Ludwig's hand and walked down the hallway. Upon entering the kitchen, Lili flipped the lightswitch on and crossed over to the medicine cabinet and took out a teaspoon of headache medicine. Ludwig in the meantime went over and sat down at a small fancy table near the back of the kitchen.

"Here take this, it should help your headache." Liechenstien sweetly said she she came over to the table where Ludwig was at.
"Thank you Lili, your so kind." Germany took the medicine and casually got up. "I think i'm going back to bed now." The German said as he stood to get up.
"Oh ok here let me take you back to your room i'm going back to be anyway and my rooms also this direction.
"Oh ok thanks." Germany smiled as the sweet girl grabbed his hand and walked him back to him room. Germany opened the door to his room and walked inside but before shutting it all the way he said "goodnight" to Liechtenstein, Lili just smiled and walked back down the hall ans Ludwig finally shut his door and made his way back to his bed.