Of Devils, Angels, and Heartbreak

GILLLLLLLLLLLLLY

February 25th, 1200, in what is now known as East Germany

(Everything is being said in German)

"Hallo bruder!" A man in a cloak burst in the door of a small wooden house, a small fire crackling in a corner. "I'm home!" He yelled, grinning wildly and throwing his hood back to reveal pure red eyes and hair as white as the snow left on his boots.

"I noticed." Came the sarcastic reply of a young boy who poked his head up from the blankets. Eight year old Ludwig had messy light blonde hair with a fringe hanging just over his light eyes, and reddish cheeks from the cold.

"West!" Gilbert grinned and clomped over to the fire, collapsing on the pile of blankets with a groan, kicking off his thick leather boots and tugging off the cloak, leaving him in thin trousers and collared shirt. "Pass me a blanket will you? Oh mein gott this winter was brutal." Ludwig grumbled but passed over a blanket, snuggling a little deeper in his own. "Danke." Gilbert grinned, suddenly trapping his little brother in a hold and ruffling his hair. "Hey West did you do the reading I instructed today?"

"Yeah but I don't want to." Ludwig whined, voice muffled by Gilbert's arm. "Why do I have to?" Gilbert's entire demeanor changed in a split second and he stood up, walking to the other end of the small room and picking up a small bag.

"Vati taught me how to read and write, and i'd be a horrible older brother if I didn't do the same. Since you did the reading, why don't you copy this." he instructed Ludwig sternly, leaving no room for objections. He tossed the bag at Ludwig who caught and opened it, revealing a bottle of ink, some rough parchment, a quill, and a board for writing on. Surprisingly neat writing covered half of the pages and Ludwig settled the board on his lap, beginning to write in the faint flicker of the fire.

"None of the other children have to read and write." He grumbled halfheartedly, not minding the assignment anymore. Gilbert sighed, staring at the depths of the fire intently.

"The world will change Luddy. Vati knew that someday, reading and writing will be a skill you need to survive life. I want you to get an education and study, and if your work isn't used today, it might be in years, maybe even centuries, but people will find your studies, and you won't just be some nameless axe smith, you'll be someone who actually made a mark on the world. Vater will be proud of you." Gilbert sighed, pulling at a lock of snow hair. Ludwig set the quill aside and rested a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Bruder... why are you so frustrated?" he asked gently, shifting so he was hugging the adult. Gilbert stiffened then relaxed, wrapping an arm around his brother.

"The winter has frozen the crops, and the villagers are blaming me. All because of my hair and eyes. Good thing the fires of the forge make everyone's eyes red. There I look normal, and my hair could pass for yours. It's so much like Vati's." A thumping of footsteps and yelling was heard and Gilbert's eyes went wide, suddenly scrambling to get dressed and pack a bag. "Luddy get up and get your stuff." He hissed, slinging a bag over his shoulder. The door burst open and an angry group of villagers stood there, carrying crude weapons. One stepped forward, brandishing a large stick.

"There's the devil axe smith with red eyes! He has been making the crops freeze! He shall be burned and the crops will resume!" One yelled, calls of agreement heard. A man grabbed Gilbert, and another grabbed Ludwig.

"Touch my brother and you will regret it." He snarled, not fighting the ones that grabbed him yet. The man holding Ludwig sneered and twisted the child's arm behind him, causing the little boy to cry out in pain.

"Bruder help me!" Ludwig cried, trying to get out of the man's grip and earning a harsh slap to the face for his efforts.

"WEST!" Gilbert shouted with fury, twisting out of his captor's grip and picking up a katzbalger that was resting against the wall near him. He lunged at the man holding his little brother, face twisted in a savage snarl. The unprepared mob roared and attacked the albino man, despite having no real weapons. Gilbert killed any that dared to lay another finger on Ludwig. He fought like a demon, paring, slashing and stabbing with ease, brow furrowed in concentration. He dropped the red stained sword at the end, rushing to scoop up Ludwig, who had hidden himself in the corner. "Shhhh Luddy. I won't let anyone hurt you now." He comforted the child while gathering their belongings, hopping over bodies as he sprinted out the door, Ludwig burying his face in his brother's chest, small body heaving with sobs.

"B-b-bruder..." he hiccuped as they entered a small shack in the corner of the village, Gilbert setting Ludwig down and wrapping his cloak around him, shedding his own bloodstained shirt. His iron cross necklace bounced against the pale skin of his chest as he rummaged through the bag, checking that he had everything.

"Ludwig. Look at me." He ordered, placing his hands on the child's shoulders. Ludwig looked up at his brother, and was suddenly pulled into a hug. "That bag has money and everything we need to survive. Ich liebe dich, West. Don't ever forget that." the door burst open and Gilbert shoved Ludwig behind him, the small boy landing in a pile in a corner, buried in Gilbert's cloak.

"Burn him, burn, burn!" the villagers chanted, this time in a larger group and armed with real weapons, the polished metal gleaming in the evening light. Five burly men grabbed and tied up a fighting Gilbert, and the rest of the mob followed where they dragged him, to where a large fire pit was already burning, the flames reflecting in Gilbert's scarlet irises.

"Nein!" Ludwig cried, grabbing his bag and following them, still bundled up in the cloak. He stopped midway, seeing the flames of the fire roar higher and hearing a scream of agony. Sobs welled up in his throat and he ran to the forest edge, burying himself in the bushes and snow, curling up into a small ball. He didn't know for how many hours he laid there, hearing Gilbert's screams as he died and the vicious taunts of the villagers. The snow bit at his bones as the sun peeked over the edges of the forest, the bonfire dying down to a couple smoldering clumps, the ashes scattered by Ludwig's boots. He wandered the remnants of the fire in vain, praying that his older brother would walk out, miraculously unharmed, and just hug Ludwig. A glint of metal caught his eye and he stooped over, picking up a slightly melted cross from a pile of ash. It was the cross that Gilbert wore everyday, the only reminder of their Vater, who had died when Ludwig was a baby. Ludwig put the cross around his neck, tucking it under his thin shirt and clutching it tightly, a few tears escaping from beneath closed eyelids. The boy exited the village, the light from the setting sun casting shadows on his back. Just before he was about to vanish into the tree edge he turned around, raising one arm to the sky in farewell. "Auf wiedersehen bruder. Ich liebe dich." he whispered, and as he turned his back he could've sworn a voice in the wind whispered it back.

Arthur leapt out of the memory with a horrified gasp, staring at Ludwig with wide eyes, noticing for the first time an iron cross against the white fabric of his robe. Gilbert's iron cross. Ludwig looked up at the other angel, brows furrowing and sitting up straight in his chair.

"Arthur... Vhat did jou see?" He asked at the Brit's expression, also looking down at the cross. The Brit froze, an internal battle going on in his mind.

I was told not to tell anyone, but he knows something just happened... He knows I saw his memory, and it's best to tell him so he doesn't come to his own possibly incorrect conclusions.

"Can I trust you?"