A-Z German Brothers

F: Fallen

F: Fallen

The sun was just beginning to set one summer's eve, bathing the country side in dying rays of orange light and casting the world in shadows. A horse was picketed under an oak tree, quietly eating grass while his rider sat a ways away with a young boy.

Gil's hat was beside him to his left, while Ludwig, just a young boy was to his right. They sat on one of the tallest hilltops in the area, for reasons Ludwig knew not. Gil himself was in a rather serious and somber mood. He had something very important to teach his young brother.

Ludwig was sitting quiet, spellbound as usual by his elder brother. Gil could really weave a story, and Ludwig found himself always lost within the fabric of Gil's stories.

Neither spoke for a long moment, just sitting and enjoying the mild weather and the lovely sun set. Finally Gil began to speak.

"Do you know why we're here Luddy?"

The blonde haired boy shook his head.

"Look around for a moment, at the hills, rivers, trees, and sky." He pointed out to the expanse of land before him.

"Watch, how the eagle rises in the sky, and then falls back to earth. In his place, sparrows rise up to take the sky."

Ludwig just watched his brother in silence and listened intently.

"The sun is constant. It rises every morning, it even rises on the coldest and bleakest of winter days. Though even night it falls to the moon. What would happen if the ever constant sun never did rise again?"

Ludwig thought for a moment but had no answer. Gil did not have any scientific answer, more of a philosophical response.

"We would be alarmed. The sun was constant. We expected it to always be there, but there just might be a day where it just does not rise. How would be get over that?"

"In time?" Ludwig asked

Gil smiled and nodded "We think many things are constant, we like to think many things are permanent. But Ludwig, nothing is really, truly permanent. Not the rivers, not the woods, and not the countries. Not even the greatest empires. All the great empires, they have fallen. One day...one day Prussia will fall too, Ludwig."

Before the alarmed boy could speak Gil went on "The empire, it was something constant. It would take time for you to get used to the empire being gone. Being fallen. But one day, you would just have to get used to it. In time."

"Wouldn't you die if the empire fell?"

Gil nodded "Rome fell, and ancient Rome is gone."

"What about Italy?" he asked, lip quavering

"Italy rose to be after Rome. After Prussia is gone, what will be? Hopefully, the ruins of my empire will be the foundation of yours."

Ludwig hugged Gil tightly "But I do not want your land, I want you to live."

Gil smiled a little sadly, his arm going around his brother "It is just the way life goes Ludwig. Countries rise and fall. Empires rise, rule, and crumble. Nothing in the life of a country is reliable. One day my own empire will fall, even if I do not want it to. This is not something you can prevent. Rome lasted for a thousand years. Maybe Prussia will last for two thousand, but it will still, in the end, fall. It just happens."

Ludwig did not look pleased about this "How am I supposed to be a country without you?"

"That is why I am here right? I will show you. I will teach you. I did not say I would fall apart tomorrow."

Gil did not want to fall. He did not want to die, he had promised his brother he would always be there. And he would, he did not lie. He just would not be there physically, forever. He would just remain in memory. He would live forever though his legacy of his brother, and through all the lessons he instilled in the young boy.

Gil was not the best man and he was not the most stable country, but he knew very well how things went. One day he would fall. His proud empire would fall to pieces. He would die. He would cease to be that was just how it went. Fair or not, he could not change Fate's design.

He stood up, picking up the boy, who was now seven and way too big to be picked up. "Do not worry. I will always be here, for now, physically. In the future, I will stay in spirit. You are not alone. You will be a big strong country one day and you will find that you really do not need me anymore." He smiled, and started for his horse.

In the end, many years later, Gil was right. His proud country fell, it shattered to bits after a costly war; after his brothers war on the world. World War II was his undoing.

He has seen his younger brother form into a country, he had stood by as the young boy made mistakes and learned. He thought WWI would have taught him, but it had not. Gil had helped the young boy change with the rapidly changing world. He had always been a strong influence and now he was Ludwig's only true friend.

Ludwig, after the wreckage of the war, knew only one thing. He could not trust himself. He could only trust Gil. Gil was the one thing solid and steady. Gil was the one thing who was true, constant.

That night on the hillside, he never thought about it. He chose to forget it most the time. He could not handle such a thought, being without his brother.

But he had to remember. He had to think about those terrible words because in 1947, Prussia was dissolved. Gil's kingdom, Gil's pride, his homeland, was gone.

And Gil, though he had always knew this day would come, was depressed. He had fallen. The mighty Prussian empire was no more. He was no more.

Gil had fallen, not just Prussia.

Ludwig was by his brother's side, praying the albino would not pass, like many of the other empires. He did not want Gil to disappear. He would give up his own lands just to save his brother. The land of Germany was after all, really just old Prussian land.

Ludwig knelt by his brother, who was thin and sick. Who looked to be pained, and not at all like he used to be.

"Gil...just hang on..." Ludwig begged

Gil looked at him, and held his brothers hand gently, and spoke "I was something constant...I was always here. Tomorrow things will be very different, but the same. The sun will rise, the birds will chirp, and dogs will howl. Though tomorrow...I will not rise. Prussia has fallen Luddy. Prussia is gone. I will die...it is the way things are. You will get used to it in time...we have already talked about this." He motioned for Ludwig to come closer, as his breathes were getting shallower.

Ludwig did, and Gil kissed his forehead "I will always be here...through you I live. Through what I have taught you and showed you, I live. In memory I will always be here..." he took a shaky, final breath and uttered "I love you."

With those final words, Prussia truly fell. The empire even Napoleon feared crumbled. The nation that raised Germany dissolved. But most important of all...

The brother that Ludwig called his, died.

Hope I didnt kill all your feels.

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