"The Tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives." - Albert Schweiter

"I shared my story with you. So now, It's my turn to play shrink. 'Fess up, bastard."

"I don't think this is really appro-"

"I said 'fess up'. Let's start from the beginning."

"Gilbert." The young boy's father called, beckoning his oldest son over to where he sat on the worn couch with a toddler in his arms. A toddler that Gilbert had never seen before. A toddler that looked a lot like his Vati. He narrowed his eyes but followed his father's command. He glared down at the little blond boy.

"What is it?" He asked, his gaze never leaving the little boy with the serious face.

"That," His father said, sending a disapproving glare towards his younger son, "is your bruder."

"I don't have a bruder" Gilbert argued, turning his gaze towards his Vati, a question in his ruby eyes.

"You do and have for two years. You are only now meeting him, but he is still your bruder and I expect you to be a good older brother." His father commanded, reaching around the boy on his lap to pick up Gilbert, setting him on the couch and pushing the little boy into his lap. He stood up, giving the nine year old a stern gaze before heading into another room. Gilbert didn't know for what, or really care. His gaze was fixed on the little, frowning bag of guts and bones in his lap.

He glared with all his might as his 'bruder', wanting badly to push the little nuisance from his lap, but not wanting to get in trouble with his Vati. He glared at the boy, who only stared back with a look too serious for that of a child.

"So," Gilbert began, wrinkling his nose in disgust as the weight of 'it' put his legs to sleep, "What's you're name?"

He wasn't given an answer, 'it' only gazed back at him and Gilbert was forced to look away before 'it' stole his soul or something. He breathed deep, steeling himself before turning back, raising his finger to poke the thing hard in the middle of it's forehead, issuing his warning.

"Vati may like you, and say that you're my bruder, but that doesn't change anything. You're still an intruder and you won't get away with anything. I'm the leader of this house, I'm your boss, and I'm awesome, got it?" 'It's only response was to grab Gilbert's finger, pulling the offending appendage away from his forehead, and bringing it down to eye level. He stared at the pale white finger for a moment before turning to Gilbert, muttering a mangled "bruder". Gilbert stared. 'It's face was so serious. Gilbert couldn't stop himself from laughing. He brought his other hand up to pat the thi- his bruder on his small blond head, exclaiming an affirmation at the small child, who offered a small smile in return. His first since entering this strange new world. Red eyes locked with blue as the two brothers stared and smiled and promised, and Gilbert thought having a brother might not be so bad.

From the kithen, their father watched his two sons with a smile of his own.

"Touching bastard. I'm in tears."

"There's really no rea-"

"So… what next?"

Gilbert cackled evilly, the yowls of pain and rage only pushing the adrenaline farther through his veins. He grabbed the foreleg of the furry little beast trapped under his thumb and snapped it over his knee, crowing in delight at the painful sound. Ludwig cringed away, not wanting any part of his brothers antics, but doing nothing to stop them. He now regretted not bringing any earplugs.

"Ludwig! Bring me the gasoline and lighter!" Gilbert called, hanging the battered cat by the scruff of it's neck, leering at it with a promise of more pain in his eyes. Ludwig gulped. He didn't want to. It was their neighbors cat, he had always liked it, petted it, fed it, and somebody was sure to notice. He didn't want to disappoint his bruder. He steeled himself and ran to get what Gilbert had requested, but not watch. He didn't want to watch. He set the requested items in front of his brother, who gave him a thankful smile, and turned to leave. Gilbert didn't let him. He grabbed his younger brother's shoulder, halting his escape.

"Stay and watch with me Luddy. It'll be fun, I promise." Ludwig couldn't say no. He had never been able to say no to his brother, the person he was closest too. He nodded faintly, squeezing his eyes shut. Gilbert grinned at the boy, shaking his head. He still had to learn. He threw the cat down, stepping on it's tail before it could escape and poured the liquid onto it, soaking it. He looked around, checking they were alone. They were, the woods around them silent and foreboding, the shadows reaching and prodding and pushing him on. They understood.

Gilbert flicked the lighter, watching with glee as the little flame danced to life in his hand. He smiled wider, his excitement over whelming and almost palpable in the thick summer air. He looked to Ludwig, who eyes were still squeezed shut, his forehead creased in anxiety. He never did seem to enjoy this sort of thing. Well, Gilbert would teach him. He lost his smile for a moment. It was almost fall, Ludwig would start school soon. Gilbert would have to make sure to keep him safe from those other kids. He wouldn't let them turn his bruder against him. The heat emanating from the lighter was starting to burn his thumb, and the twelve year old smiled again, brought back to today's adventure.

He leaned down toward the hissing, spitting and soggy cat, pushing the flame to it's ear, grinning in delight as the fur caught fire. The cat howled and thrashed and couldn't break free. No, Gilbert wouldn't let that happen. He watched to fire lick and burn but it wasn't moving fast enough. He brought the lighter to the cat's back, setting the fur there aflame as well, biting his lip to keep the mad laughter in as the cat was engulfed. He stepped off the tail just as the flames raced down to the tip. He watched in glee as the creature struggled and choked and couldn't get away and couldn't put itself out and burned and burned and burned.

Ludwig buried his face into his brother's back, inhaling deeply to get rid of the smell of burning flesh and fur and to get his stomach to settle. He didn't understand it. Didn't understand how his brother could be so cruel and vicious. He didn't like it, but… he loved his brother. He clutched Gilbert's shirt tighter, asking if they could leave in a voice barely above a whisper. Gilbert turned to hug his brother, agreeing. He took a hold of Ludwig's chin, forcing the boy to meet his eyes. He grinned at his brother, kissing his forehead to smooth out the wrinkles. He took his brother's hand and led him away from the dying animal screeching behind them. He led his brother through the trees and undergrowth and shadows that reached and pushed and prodded and understood, sparing not a thought for the cat that lay smoldering in his wake. He had already promised.

Nobody would come between them. Not even a cat.

"…Wow. That… that's fucked up. I thought I was horrible."

"It's not his fault. Gilbert… He didn't know any better…"

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Gilbert!" The pale fourteen year old paid no mind to his father as he stormed through the living room, plopping angrily onto the couch and crossing his arms in an act of defiance. His father stomped in after him, expression livid and a glare marring his features, his youngest son in tow. Ludwig cast his bruder a worried look, but Gilbert only grinned before turning to sneer at their Vati. The blond man let go of Ludwig, shooing him to his room. "Gilbert. Why did you attack that boy?"

"I didn't attack him!" Gilbert protested, lips curled in a snarl, evening out into a smirk. "It was a fair fight." His father blanched, and Gilbert only smirked. Ludwig looked on in apprehension, his brow knitted in worry.

"You hit him with a baseball bat! Repeatedly!"

"He shouldn't be such a pansy" Gilbert deadpanned. His father's furious expression was back.

"You put him in the hospital! Your forced his broken glasses down his throat! You attempted to strangle him with his own jacket! I thought you were friends with him? What on Earth would possess you to hurt him like that?"

"He was messing with Ludwig! Nobody messes with my bruder!" Gilbert shouted back, standing quickly from the couch. He was a head shorter than his father but no less intimidating to the seven year old standing in the corner, away from the fight.

"Him being nice to your brother does not constitute 'messing' with him!"

"He wasn't being nice! He was trying poison him or something! Who knows what Rodreich did to that piece of cake! He could've put a bomb in it for all you know!" His father had nothing to say to that, shocked into silence by his son's reasoning. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a new habit he seemed to have acquired over the years.

"Gilbert… just… go to your room. I'll deal with you later."

"Why don't you 'deal with me' now?" He challenged.

His Father didn't look at him as he answered. "I'm making a call. Go." Gilbert only huffed, trudging up the stairs to his room, grumbling under his breath the whole way. He flopped onto his bed the second he shut the door and not a moment later, there was a timid knock on his door.

"Come in Ludwig!" He called, and the small blonde popped his head in. Gilbert smiled, waving him over. Ludwig crawled onto the bed beside his brother, laying down next to him.

"Gilbert, what's a sociopath?"

"I dunno. Why?" Ludwig only shook his head.

"Gilbert, why did you do it? Rodreich didn't do anything bad." Ludwig tried to explain, looking up at Gilbert as the fourteen year old sat them both up.

"Yes, he did Luddy. He was trying to come between us. I'm not gonna let that happen. I made a promise." Ludwig opened his mouth to speak, but Gilbert cut him off with a hand over his mouth and a 'you'll understand someday'. Gilbert kissed the wrinkles from his forehead, pulling the young boy to lay down with him again to await the arrival of their Vati.

"So, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you understand idiot?"

"No."

"Gilbert?" nine year old Ludwig screeched as a blood covered Gilbert tore into his room, slamming the door behind him. His hands were stained with a red that moved and flowed and dripped onto the carpet in a steady plop, plop, plop. Ludwig stared in horror at his bruder's blood spattered clothes and manic grin. Gilbert cackled as Ludwig questioned why he was in such a state.

"Vati is dead!" He crowed, hugging Ludwig tight to his chest and smothering him in blood. His Vati's blood. Ludwig struggled and pushed against his brother, but it was no use. He wasn't strong enough. Why wasn't he strong enough? Gilbert seemed to tense, squeezing Ludwig only tighter as his grin faded.

"We have to hurry." He pushed Ludwig down onto the boys bed, climbing on top of him, a knee on either side of his bruder's waist. Ludwig was expecting something. Something, anything, but he felt nothing. Nothing but numb. He had never seen his brother like this. He felt as though he should be scared. He wasn't.

"Toni and Francis called the cops not to long ago, but they should be here soon so we have to hurry" He insisted. Gilbert smiled reassuringly at his brother. "I'm gonna make sure nothing comes between us, okay?" Ludwig only nodded, trusting his bruder. He always trusted his bruder. Gilbert smiled gently, leaning down to whisper to his bruder. "You first and them me. I won't let them have you Ludwig. They won't take you from me." It sounded like a promise to Ludwig. Gilbert kissed the boy's forehead, wrapping long bony fingers and rough, calloused palms around the small, fragile throat and squeezed.

Ludwig fought, instincts taking away his senses as he realized what Gilbert was doing. His bruder was trying to kill him! He fought and kicked and scratched at those hands he knew so well, but to no avail. Gilbert held tighter, and Ludwig's vision swam and the pounding in the background faded and all he was left with was his brother's heavy breathing in his ears. Gilbert's final farewell. "Happy Birthday bruder." The black swallowed his vision and he was gone.

Lovino gaped, but pulled himself back together quickly. "So, he tried to kill you, and you follow him to prison? Aren't you, I don't know, worried he might try again?"

"Given the chance I'm sure he would."

"Then why not just forget about him? You know, leave him to rot?"

"You never left your brother" Ludwig argued, moving to his feet.

"My brother never tried kill me!" Lovino defended. Ludwig only smirked. It was so easy to rile Lovino. It was almost fun. A game, as Gilbert would say.

"No, I believe it was the other way around, wasn't it?" Lovino bared his teeth in a snarl, fist clenching, but he made no move, the metal cuffs around his wrists somewhat of a deterrent .

"Why bastard? Really, why?" Ludwig stared, away from Lovino, away from the door leading out of the small room where he held his sessions. Why had he followed his bruder? His insane, sociopath bruder who had killed their father, and tried to do the same to him.

"He kept his promise. Nothing came between us. Not even him."

So, the second in the 'Tragedy' series. The title means(or is supposed to mean) 'Tragedy says it all'. If doesn't, well…. I don't actually speak German so I wouldn't know.