Rome Falls (Rome-Germania)

I stare solemnly at the copper-haired man standing a ways from me, wondering if I would be able to do what I knew I had to. Yet as I stood debating it, the man turned towards me and saw me standing there as I froze, looking like a child caught doing something he should not do.

"Hello, Germania," he greeted me, and the sound of his tired voice, usually so bright and cheery, was nearly enough to break my heart. Instead of strengthening my resolve, it made me want to fall to my knees before him, begging him for mercy, for understanding, for him to get back on his feet and go on.

But I could do none of those things, I was not at liberty. So rather, I walked forward to meet the exhausted, defeated man before me, and it was he who broke, not myself, when the pair of us were close enough and he could safely collapse into my arms. For years, I had been his bodyguard, his protector, his savior. Now, I was just the same. But this was something I could not save him from....

"They-they split me, Germania." I realized with a shock that he was crying, and I tried my best to bring him closer to me as I attempted to prevent myself from doing the same.

"They split me. They-they've made a new empire, the Byzantine Empire. They-they said I have no purpose anymore, and that-that they want you to-to-" But he takes a deep breath, and locks his eyes on me. "Germania, I can't do this anymore, and you know it."

I have to avert my gaze from his eyes, those pleading hazel eyes which have never begged of me anything except forbidden love and obvious protection, eyes that I had looked into when on the field of battle, and while in the heat of love. But never while having this man, once so strong and happy, begging me to end him.

"Rome-" I tried to start, but found my voice catching in my throat. How could he have fallen so far? Was there nothing I could have done? Perhaps waged more war, or less war, or been more helpful or less helpful in the wars? Surely, I had been his protector for years, there must have been some way I could have easily prevented this. Yet here we were, just one moment away from goodbye - both of us knew it, yet neither could stop it.

"Rome," I breathed again, and my voice was pained and weak, just as much as the fallen man before me was as well.

"Rome..."

And I pulled him into a kiss, refusing to acknowledge that he had to go, that he must leave me, and it would have to be all my fault. I refused to see just how broken he truly was now, how sick and beaten and worn out. He was at his end after such a glorious life, and there was nothing I could do for him except be the final blow to destroy him.

No, instead I kept his lips on mine and held our bodies tighter to the other's, not relinquishing my hold, but rather strengthening it. I drew him closer, kissed him deeper, and for just a moment, I felt his old spark return as he kissed me back.

And then I felt him go slack, and it was with great care that I removed my sword from his back, gently lowering his body so that he could lie flat on the ground, eyes staring up at the sky just past my face as he took one last breath, then stilled, a happy grin from our last kiss still present on his face, same in death as it had been so many times in life and living.

"Ich liebe dich, Rom. Ruhe in frieden, und Ich werde dir bald beitreten, mein liebling." My voice was barely a whisper as I knelt to close his eyes and clasp his hands, before pressing my last kiss to his still lips.

"I will miss you, Roma. Godspeed." And stiffly I stood, steeling my heart to go out to my new land and ensure that the memory of my dead darling could not be erased, but rather Rome would live on somehow.

Today would not be the day that Rome fell, but rather, the day that Rome was just born again.