Chapter Text
Austria barely reacted when Germany slammed a diary down on his coffe table. He took a sip of his tea and looked up calmly, meeting angry blue eyes struggling to keep calm.
“Explain this to me. Now.”
Austria looked back at the diary and sighed, putting his tea down. “Alright. This looks like one of Prussia’s diaries. Knowing what he was like, it’s full of him exaggerating real events and-“
Germany flipped the diary open, showing Austria a page. If he hadn’t placed down his tea he certainly would’ve dropped it, his face going white as he read the page.
‘ It didn’t work. I tried everything, I even got him breathing again, but Holy Rome is gone. What I’ve brought back isn’t him. However, I happily welcome my new brother to the world. Happy birthday, Deutschland. ‘
“Austria. Explain.”
~~~
It took an hour to explain everything Gilbert had done. Italy and Hungary had been brought in to listen to the explanation as well, both understandably disturbed. Germany stayed silent, quietly processing what was being told to him.
Nations weren’t meant to stay alive without a nation. Once their people are gone, their land, they eventually die to illnesses or are murdered. For Prussia it had been cancer. For Holy Rome, tuberculosis. After that, the only way to see them again was if they could make the trek back as a ghost and visit in the dreams of nations. The end to a nation’s long lifespan was well known.
“Prussia couldn’t accept that he was gone. He’d cared for him in his final days, and I wasn’t there for him as much as I should’ve been. He got it into his head that he was alone, and you know how much he hated that.” Austria kept his head down as he finished his explanation, guilt weighing heavily on him.
Italy shook his head in disbelief. “So he just.. brought him back?”
“He tried to. Never told me how he did it, but he locked himself away and only told me when I caught him trying to teach Germany to read.” Austria noticed Germany flinch in the corner of his eye, the younger nation clearly remembering that.
“But you can’t do that! You can’t bring back the dead!” Italy suddenly stood, rare anger burning in his normally joyful amber eyes. He pointed at Germany as he started to yell. “I knew Holy Rome! I knew him better than any of you! And you expect me to believe that Prussia not only brought him back, but he never told me!? Germany doesn’t even have any of his belongings, he doesn’t have my painting or any memories of me as a kid-!”
“The girl in the green dress.”
The room immediately fell silent. Italy’s anger melted to an odd mix of realization and horror, germany reflecting his expression as he slowly shook his head. “I’ve had faded memories o-of a girl in a green dress. I remember her giving me a painting, but I.. Prussia always said I never-“
Italy ran from the room, slamming the door closed. Germany went to run after him but Austria held his hand, keeping him in the room as Hungary left to comfort him. She’d been silent through the whole explanation. Germany looked at Austria in confusion before it clicked. He slowly sat down, holding his head in his hands.
“Austria..”
“Yes?”
“Who.. who am I..? What am I?”
Germany looked up to meet Austria’s eyes. Gone was the once strong, intimidating figure. All Austria could see in front of him was what Germany truly was. A scared child, whose world was crumbling down around them. Austria got up, sitting next to Germany. The blond leaned against him, letting Austria pull him into a hug.
“You are Ludwig. Never forget that. Even Prussia was sure of that when he explained it to me. Please, don’t hate us for never telling you this.”
Germany said nothing, tears silently falling down his cheeks as he processed the information he’d been given.