Purple and Gold (The Many Colours of Life and Death AU)

Chapter Thirty-One

The Spanish Empire finally killed the Roman Empire and went back to the world outside of his mind. Except the physical world was ending.

"Britain, BE, stop. I'm back." SE told the British Empire, who was fighting him.

"Oh good. Took you long enough." BE sighed, lowering his sword.

The ground shook, and pieces of the ceiling fell close to them. The Dutch Empire had shrunken his barrier to only fit the countries near him, and even then, he was still struggling. The Swedish Empire and Bulgaria were dead and the Ottoman Empire was outside of the barrier, mourning his dead friend, oblivious to the rocks around him.

"What happened here?" SE asked, watching as GE tried to stab DE. The Portuguese Empire deflected the blow, and slashed the mind controlled country's arm.

"Bulgaria killed SWE, but I'm not sure how Bulgaria died. It looks like he fell on top of a sword. Perhaps ROE made him kill himself?" BE suggested.

"We'll find out later, let's get everyone out of here. DE can't take much longer." SE said.

He ran out of the barrier, sending lightning at any rocks that came falling down on him, and reached OE. "It's time to go, my friend. We'll have time to mourn later. For now, we have to make sure nobody else dies." SE said softly to the sobbing country.

"I should have protected him..." OE whispered. "I promised..."

"Don't dwell on the past. That's PLC's job. We need to get out of here." SE said, more urgently. He pulled OE away from SWE's dead body, and finally, they were running. Or rather, SE was pulled along as OE transported him outside.

As quick as a strike of lightning, everyone was out of the palace. Almost everyone. As OE grabbed GE and sped him outside, DE let his barrier down and collapsed to the floor, exhausted.

Then everything collapsed.

It was dark. Painful. Cramped. All the Dutch Empire could feel was the rocks pushing in on him. He wished he had been hit on the head or something so he didn't have to deal with this. But there he was. Trapped.

"Hello?" He tried to call, but it came out as a hoarse grunt instead. He could barely breathe, let alone talk.

"DE! Are you alive? Are you okay?" A voice called. The Portuguese Empire.

He tried to call out, tried to say anything. But nothing came out of his mouth.

"He's gone, Portugal. Let's go." SE's voice said.

Wait no! I'm here! I'm alive! Help me! DE thought, giving up on trying to speak. He heard footsteps as they started to walk away. 

Too close. Too far. 

Alone.

REC climbed out of the hole, wondering why Prussia had left him. Then he found the answer. RE was on the ground, and Prussia was being held up by branches. Was RE being mind controlled into using them? REC didn't know if possessed countries could use their powers or not. He guessed they could.

He ran as fast as he could towards Prussia, who was being circled by ROE. But a burst of flame crashed into him, sending him stumbling across the rocks. That would leave a few bruises. The French Empire smiled down at him.

"Hello, grandson. Last chance to make me proud by joining me against these fools." She gestured towards Prussia and the wreckage below. "Or... you can perish."

"I never want to make you proud again." REC snarled before he launched himself at her. He had a knife in his hand and aimed at her throat, but she ducked and sent him flying past her.

He landed and spun around, but not before she sent a plume of fire at him back. His wings took most of the damage, but they were already beyond repair.

REC was about to jump into battle again, but he saw the danger that Prussia was in, and barreled past FE instead, intending to stop ROE.

But it was too late.

Prussia stared in horror down at the Roman Empire.

"Isn't this wonderful?!" ROE cried, branches twirling around him as he explored the new power. "I can steal powers! By killing countries! Don't you see, Prussia? I was meant to rule!"

Then he stuck a sword through Prussia's remaining eye. The world became as black as his own power. He felt the branches release him and he slumped to the ground.

I'm coming to join you, Russian Empire... He thought to his friend as the pain grew numb.

And then his body was cold.

"NO!" The Austrian Empire screamed as his best friend's body fell to the floor. He ran towards the body, oblivious to the enemies standing around him.

"I can't lose you again! You just came back..." He cried, holding Prussia's hand in his. The other country didn't respond. His cocky, delightful presence was no longer there.

AE let him go.

He wished he could have spent more time with Prussia before he had died again. They had only had a few days together, and those were spent with planning, fear and worry.

There was one thing Prussia told him though.

"I was always there." Prussia had said.

"Always there? What's that supposed to mean?" AE had asked back.

"As a ghost, I had followed you. I watched you gain allies, and enemies. I saw you mourn my death every night. And I saw the country that others didn't see."

"You're a big sap." AE had snorted.

AE wished Prussia could tell him that again.

He eventually grew aware of the sounds of battle all around him. Almost everyone was there, fighting against ROE and the French Empire. REC, PE, BE and SE were all fighting FE, while everyone else was fighting ROE and their mind controlled friends.

The Austrian Empire had already mourned Prussia once. As much as he wanted to, he had no tears left to cry.

This needs to end. Now.

AE stood up, and with one last glance at Prussia, joined the battle. 

(1001 Words)

Another one bites the dust ^^