Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Epilogue

Lukas waved at the baker as he took hold of the basket. He looked up towards the sky and smiled. It was a nice day, and there would be no unfortunate storms. Even though he was no longer living near the sea and therefore no longer needed to keep an eye on the weather, some urges still remained. And this was a day that he wanted to be perfect as much as possible.

The village was nestled comfortably in the forest, and instead of pushing the forest back, they seemed to live in union with it. Arthur had been lucky to grow up in a place like this.

As Lukas travelled the familiar route back to Arthur's house – actually, their house – he waved at all the people that greeted him. It always surprised him how welcoming they had been to him and Vlad. Even his old town would have been a little more suspicious of strangers in the beginning, especially sorcerers.

That was yet another thing Lukas and Vlad both had to get used to. They could be very open about them being sorcerers, and the people didn't mind. They were even welcome, especially when there was an injury or illness, and the people would usually bring them gifts after helping them. It was certainly a mutually beneficial relationship.

Arthur's house was on the outskirts of the village, similar to Alistair's. It was still odd that they had separate houses, but after Alistair started courting one of the girls in the village, it started to make a little more sense. They also had their houses near the outskirts because it was easier to grow herbs for medicines and remedies.

Lukas paused before Arthur's door. It was still odd to think of this place as his house too. And this day, it felt even more surreal than usual. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

As soon as he entered, he smiled when he saw Vlad and Alexandru. There was a potted plant between them. Vlad had been teaching Alexandru how to better control his magic. If Lukas remembered correctly, the current exercise was to change the colours of the leaves.

Lukas made his way to the kitchen, where Arthur was brewing tea. They had learned very early on that Arthur should not be trusted in the kitchen, but it was generally safe to allow him to brew tea. Arthur smiled before his eyes trailed to the basket.

"Did you get it?" Arthur asked.

Lukas nodded. He first removed the three loaves of bread, before he removed the small cakes that had been below them. He had placed the order with the baker a few days ago, and the baker was more than happy to help when he heard what the occasion was. The bread was used as cover, just in case Vlad were to peer into the basket before they could unveil the surprise.

Lukas grabbed four plates and forks, and carefully put one of the small cakes on each of the plates. Arthur already had a tray ready with cups and a teapot, and Lukas positioned the cakes on the remaining space. Arthur lifted the tray, and they made their way to the living room, where Alexandru and Vlad still were.

"I think it's time for a break," Arthur said, placing the tray on the table, next to the potted plant.

Vlad looked at the cakes, before he looked up at Lukas and Arthur.

"This is a bit fancier than usual, isn't it?" Vlad asked.

"Well, it is a special occasion, after all," Lukas said.

"It is?"

"Tomorrow, in two weeks, would mark the anniversary of the day we met," Arthur said. "It took Lukas and I two weeks from our respective homes to reach the Aewern Desert. But tonight will mark the moment that the jewels awakened. Which means…"

"Today's your birthday," Lukas finished.

Vlad's jaw dropped, and he looked at the cakes again. Tears gathered in his eyes, and for a moment, Lukas felt alarmed, and then Vlad smiled.

"I haven't celebrated my birthday since I was seven or eight," Vlad said. "I can't even remember which one anymore."

"Well, it doesn't matter now," Arthur said. "You're officially nineteen, and there will be many more parties after this. And tonight, Alistair will be joining us for dinner, and we even got Gupta to agree to come."

"You guys…"

Vlad beamed, before he grabbed Arthur and Lukas in a hug. Lukas smiled, before he placed a kiss on Vlad's cheek, and Arthur did the same for the other. Vlad quickly pecked each of them on their mouths, before he went to the cakes.

It was odd to think that their entire adventure had started a year ago. The chaos from before formed a stark contrast with the peace they had now. Well, when the peace wasn't interrupted when they heard news of Nemthys's followers. It was sweet justice that the hunters had become the hunted, and though it was still difficult to kill them, it was necessary. Whoever the next incarnations of the jewels would be, they would make sure that they didn't suffer the way they did.

They each grabbed a plate and took their seats. It wasn't the first time, but they reminisced about their adventure, with Alexandru occasionally asking questions. A year ago, Lukas would have never imagined that this would become his life, but he was happy with it. He was still upset that he wouldn't be able to enjoy it with Mathias, Emil, Berwald, and even Tino, who had evaded them so far, but he was happy nonetheless.

And it's done. Thank you once again to everyone who had stayed with this story.