Aftermath: Maple Warriors II

Gilbert

"Jou-Jou're alive." I fell to mein knees in shock. I hadn't believed vhat zhe intercom told me, but it vas true. Mein birdie vas alive und vell.

Tears fell from mein eyes und mein breazhing came out in short rasps.

"Gil!" Matthew caught me just before mein head hit zhe floor.

"I'm dreaming." I vept. "Zhis is impossible."

"I know. I don't understand it either, Amour."

I tied mein arms around his waist. I svear I almost squeezed his guts out.

"Mein vish. I didn't zhink it vould come true."

"Wish? What wish?" Mattie asked, hugging me back.

"Last night I vished on a shooting star zhat you hadn't died."

Matthew pulled avay und studied mein face.

"That might be it. Elizavetta said I died a year ago...but..."

"Jou did. Jou vere shot by Francis."

"Francis?"

"Ja. Vith his last bit of strength he shot jou."

"What aboot Alfie? Did you-"

"Ja. I took care of him." I took a deep breath. Already it felt like Mattie had never left.

"I'm not the only one who came back." Zhe blonde vispered.

"Vhat?" I gaped.

"Lovino came back when I did."

"But Lovi vas zhe first to go."

"Oui. I woke up in that abandoned building and he was just there, sleeping. I thought it was kind of weird, but I picked him up and carried him off to the Axis headquarters. He woke up on the way."

"Feli must be happy." I nodded.

"But there's more." Birdie vispered. "When I was passing one of the rooms...I thought I could hear Alfred and Arthur arguing aboot something. It could have been my imagination, though."

"If Alfred und Arthur are alive..." I started.

"Francis must be too." Mattie finished.

"But zhen..."

"Listen, Gil, Arthur knows a lot aboot magic. He might know what's going on."

"But jou killed him...He's gotta be angry at jou for zhat." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I don't remember dying, so he must not either."

"I zhink Vlad might know some zhings about magic." I spoke up.

"Vlad?"

"Ja. Zhat Romanian guy who takes care of guard duties."

Instead of an answer to mein statement, I heard a growl coming from Birdie's stomach.

"Um, Gil..."

"Birdie," I teased. "Vhen vas zhe last time jou ate?"

Matthew giggled at zhis. "A year ago, apparently."

"I'll make jou somezhing!" I exclaimed, jumping up und shutting zhe still open door of zhe appartment.

"Hey, Gilbert?"

"Ja?"

"What happened to Kuma after I died?" Zhe blonde looked afraid of zhe answer.

"Zhe last zhing jou said vas "Take care of Kuma." He's around here somevhere." I replied.

I headed to zhe kitchen vhere I preceded to get out zhe ingredients for vurst. I hadn't had zhe stuff in a vhile.

"Kuma!" Mattie called. Zhere vas a rattling noise und Kuma emerged from one of zhe many piles of beer bottles left around zhe room.

Matthew ran tovard zhe bear und hugged him tightly I smiled softly at zhe two.

So, I had vished Birdie back to life. Zhat vas great. I had a second chance.

Und I svore zhat zhis time I vould never let him go.