Warnings: OCs used.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Edit: revised 7/12/13

...

Prologue

"You shouldn't go."

The golden-haired boy looks at his pale-haired brother who has spoken. Pale everything brother. Pale always, since he has returned from France.

The golden boy smiles, but his confidence is confined to his mouth—it does not reach his heart. "I will go, Gilbert."

Gilbert is silent. And pale. Always pale.

…

"Come along, Ludwig! You don't want to miss out on all the fun, now do you?" The barrel-chested boy's booming voice rings out with glee as he turns back to his friend with the gold hair.

Ludwig frowns. "You know just as well as I do, Peter, that they aren't going anywhere. No reason to run and rumple your suit. One might as well show up at the office looking like a gentleman."

Peter laughs his hearty laugh. "You don't have to be a gentleman to join the army, comrade! Come on, Martin and the others are probably there by now!"

Grumbling, Ludwig breaks into a trot next to his large friend.

"Aren't you even excited?" asks Peter, glancing sideways at him.

"Of course I am!" he shoots back defensively. Of course he is. It is true. He's been counting down the days for the last two years. But his brother's words keep ringing in his head. You shouldn't go. His face, pale, his eyes haunted shadows of their former selves. Ludwig has noticed that change in him, but it has never seemed so pronounced as when he confronted Ludwig then in the drawing room.

As soon as they reach the office, though, all thoughts of Gilbert are dispelled from his mind.

"Kraus! Beilschmidt! What took you so long!" Hans Martin admonishes them cheerfully. "Berti and Rudi were betting you'd chickened out." He grins his wolfish grin, hands stuck in his pockets.

Peter pretends to take offense. "Never! Beilschmidt the gentleman just like likes taking his lousy old time."

Ludwig sniffs and straightens his necktie. It is a new suit; he is quite proud of it.

The others laugh at him, but it is all in fun. Their high spirits are catching, and soon Ludwig finds himself laughing along with his friends.

They are all there, his five best mates from school. There is, of course, Peter Kraus, the curly-haired locksmith's son, wider than any of the other two put together and nearly a head taller. Ludwig likes him best; he is a loyal. Bright too, but lazy when it comes to schoolwork. Then there is Hans Martin, the de facto leader of their band. He is a natural for the position, always organizing their games of football and laying out the strategies. Sometimes his sense of humor borders on the cruel, and in school he fancies himself much smarter than he is; yet, he is clever, in a cunning way. He has a gift for persuasion and always gets exactly what he wants: the best bargains for cigarettes, more lenient punishments when he or his friends get into trouble with the professor. There is also Berthold Scholz and Rudolf Keller: Berti and Rudi. It is impossible not to mention them together, for they are always each at the other's side. They are constantly making mischief, but somehow they never get caught, placing tacks on the professor's seat while he's not looking, or sneaking licorice into their pockets at the general store. And best of all, they are always generous in distributing such goods to the rest of the group.

And lastly Ambros Graf. Graf is a diminutive, scrawny boy, with spectacles that slip down his nose whenever he gets excited about anything. He has a somewhat haughty attitude, entirely unwarranted, because his father is a glorified secretary in local government; his family puts on airs. Despite his sense of superiority he always tags along with the others, and withstands being the butt of their jokes because they are the only ones in the class that tolerate him. Ludwig takes pity on him and tries to show him kindness, but never too much; he does not want the boy to cling to him. But he has earned Graf's respect, and that is something.

Ludwig is the quietest of them all. Some mistake it for surliness, but his friends know better. Ludwig lets them copy his answers on assignments, so they are forever grateful. They are not afraid to annoy him and flare his temper, but it is only in jest, so they know he will always forgive them; besides, they are the only ones who can make him laugh. Except Gilbert of course, but he hasn't made Ludwig laugh since the war started.

There are some other boys there from their class: Franz Meyer, a lewd boy who always makes obscene comments; Thomas Schneider, the best football player and a favorite with girls; and Karl Wulf, who always means trouble. Ludwig's father has often warned him to stay away from "that Wulf boy."

Ludwig's excitement mounts as the number of people between him and the table grows fewer and fewer. The recruitment officers are impatient, and call them up without delay. When Martin has finished before him, Ludwig goes to the table, heart pounding, and before he can quite process that this the moment he has been waiting for, to prove himself a man and join his elder brother on the front, his name is already in the book and the papers handed him and he is shooed off to the side.

Kraus grins at him as they leave the office.

When Ludwig steps outside, it starts to sink in. He feels more important, more mature, than the boys still in line, who have not yet officially joined. He knows it is ridiculous, as they will soon receive their papers as well, but he can't help but allow his chest to swell. He is going to be a soldier. And when he looks up at the sky it suddenly seems brighter, bluer than ever before, and sunlight is all around him and inside of him; he feels the throbbing of his heart, the rush in his veins, and the wind on his cheeks, and something immense and triumphant rising up within him.

He is going to be a soldier.

…

Ludwig is in good spirits at supper; Gilbert is not. Ludwig tries not to let his brother's sullenness ruin his own cheer.

He knows his father is proud, even if he does not show it much on his face. His mother is especially warm towards him; he expects she is more anxious than proud, but she hides it well. She always knew Ludwig would follow his brother.

But after supper, when Gilbert has retreated without a word to his room, Ludwig has had enough. He goes up the stairs, knocks on his brother's door, and receives permission to enter.

Gilbert is lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Ludwig has noticed him like that often, when he has been home from the front. He sits on the bed beside him.

"Well." He grins.

Gilbert looks at him blankly. "Well?"

Ludwig grows impatient. "You haven't said anything about me signing up. I'm coming with you this time." He smiles again, a little less, but Gilbert doesn't answer. Ludwig frowns. "Aren't you happy?"

"Happy?" Gilbert is looking at the ceiling again. "No, Ludwig, I'm not happy. I told you you shouldn't go."

Ludwig looks at his brother for a moment, then storms out of the room, furious. His brother is supposed to be happy. He is supposed to be proud. They are going to be together, be fighting together, as Ludwig has wanted ever since Gilbert first went away. He thought his brother wanted that, too.

That night he comforts himself with the thought that Peter, Berti and Rudi, Hans, even little Ambros, will all be happy to have him along. If he hadn't signed up they would have left him behind, they would have looked at him with contempt. He would be less of a man, and alone, and friendless.

But still, Ludwig knows in his heart of hearts that it is his brother he wants more than friends. He has cherished every letter from him and keeps them carefully folded in his bottom drawer. He has missed his brother terribly. And finally, he will have him back. They will both be real men. He tells himself that Gilbert will come around. Gilbert still sees him as just a boy, but Ludwig will show him. He'll prove himself, and then his brother will be proud, and happy.

That's what he tells himself as he nods off to sleep.

...

Original A/N: Oh look! Something new! If you are following Obsession, no worries, that series is still my priority! I just really needed to get this idea down, as it's been bouncing around my head nonstop since reading "All Quiet on the Western Front." I always did want to write a WWI story with the bros.

Apologies for the number of OCs in here-I promise it will be centered around the brothers most of all! I just needed some more characters and it really didn't make sense to have Italians and Austrians etc joining the German Imperial Army. Plus I kind of wanted to create some of my own characters. It's fun.

So, it's also quite different from my usual style-tell me what you think! I really love reviews!

Oh, and yes, this is going to be a Germancest story, in case you were wondering.

Edit 7/12/13:I've wanted to revisit this ever since watching the film version of "All Quiet" recently. I've just revised a few small things that have been bothering me whenever I reread this. I'll do the same for Chapter 1 soon. I would also really like to write more of this fic soon, but I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, so I'm not sure when I'll get around to it.