WFPDH Shorts

After the War

The cheering was so loud, deafening with the sounds of music and marching. With her hands out to push her way through the crowd, Analia slipped up next to the wooden barrier fences, watching with bright teal eyes as the men passed.

Flags fluttered in the air, citizens cried out their thanks as the soldiers walked in perfect formation through the middle of the streets. The Danish woman got pushed a bit by the other watchers, but she just shook them off, pressed both her palms onto the barrier and held herself up on her tiptoes.

Despite their exhaustion from the previous battles, all the men of the Axis Alliance walked in seamless boxes, some waved and smiled, o22thers looked like they just wanted to go home, or to whatever home they had left. Celio led a troop with an Italian flag in his right hand, the green, white and red shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. The Italian commander still had a smile on his face after all that had happened, his dark brown almost black hair was slicked back and his uniform was spotless. He waved and called out to several people in the crowd, Analia caught his brown gaze in her teal one and waved sheepishly.

"Ce l'abbiamo fatta!" (We made it!) Celio smiled brightly and yelled out to her, arm in the air.

She smiled and leaned further on the barrier, shouting back. "Noi facemmo!" (We did!) Her hair blew into her face as she watched Felix lead the Canadian troops next, he looked highly embarrassed, not boasting the same pride as Celio had.

His short, chestnut brown hair was shiny and his heterochromic eyes were narrowed under the harsh sunrays. With white knuckles, he clutched the pole with the Canadian flag on it. The flag was makeshift, Analia herself had had to sew over the part of it that contained a smaller image of the British coat of arms. (Acel of course suggested burning the damn thing and just having Felix carry a German flag but that had started an argument to which Celio said Analia could fix it.)

Analia shook her head and laughed softly as he almost tripped, one of his soldiers grabbed his arm and helped him stand up straight then nudged him ahead again. The man whispered something to Felix, who raised his eyebrows, flashed a forced smile and waved to the crowd.

Once the Canadian troops passed, Rocky was stumbling in front of the Polish soldiers, his smile bright and his eyes shimmering. Analia sighed softly and watched him with her face feeling warm. He waved the Polish flag back and forth, the red and white eye-catching as it swayed against the blue sky.

"Polska jest najlepsza!!" (Poland is the best!!) He yelled at the top of his lungs, face reddened and eyes clasped shut. One of his men smacked him on the shoulder and he laughed. When the Polish commander opened his eyes again he looked at Analia, she was sure he was overwhelmed from emotions because what he yelled next left her startled. "I love you more than anything, Analia!" Rocky looked so ecstatic as he skipped, spinning in the middle of the road, "I don't care who knows!" , his soldier shoved him again and rolled his eyes before the Polish man continued walking, laughing loudly, his laugh made her heart soar.

Analia blushed hard and looked down at the pavement, rubbing her cheek with one of her hands, a little laugh escaping her lips. A hand tapped her shoulder and she turned, startled. An older woman smiled at her. "Would you be Analia?"

She blushed more and sighed. "Y-yes." The woman shook her head a bit and glanced at Rocky, who was now much further down the road.

"He's a good one, that one, I can tell." Her blue eyes glittered as she looked back down at Analia, who tilted her head. "My husband was in the military too..."

Analia choked. "H-He's not my husband—"

The woman had a strange look in her wispy blue eyes. "Mhm, sure."