Austria

Red velvet seats, and the hard clack of her heels against a wooden stage was what she lived for.

The roar of thunderous applause and the sharp twang of her bow against strings of a violin was her life.

Of course, there were other things she loved.

She loved the comforting smells of baking, the sweet caress of silence, the glow of friends and family, pitter patter of rain against the roof, and the warmth of walking through Vienna.

But none filled her with as much pleasure as a performance gone well.

Nothing made her swell with as much pride, or reminded her she was worth it like a standing ovation.

And she always got a standing ovation.

Her music was probably perfect.

After all, she had been practicing since childhood.

What they didn't know was that she was a child thousands of years ago.

"So. Tell me Herr Hubermann. Why I cannot participate in tonights festivities."

The -obviously- German soldier, sneered at her, while looking through her papers.

At first, she had more then welcomed Monika's soldiers.

She was livid over the destruction of her empire and her separation from Hungary..

..The Allies deserved to pay! And if Monika needed her country's help, then she would give it!

She had even offered to go to the front lines commanding like Monika had in the first world war. But Germany hadn't been in Berlin (she assumed that Monika didn't think she was going to fight so she'd already left) and Hitler told her that it was fine, and that a pretty lady like herself should just stay home.

That was only the most recent issue she had with her "Fuhrer"

His ridiculous party and it's massive military had practically forced her country unto it's knees.

She had never been very strong but, she was ashamed to be this weak. To have her country taken away from her people and put into the hands of a madman and his 5 coconspirators.

There was a small population of Jews in her country, and suddenly, one morning she woke up, and they were nowhere to be found.

She wasn't an ignorant twat, she knew exactly where they had gone, and needless to say, she was still seething about it.

But she was powerless to stop it.

So, she decided to focus on other things.

Her music had always been the best distraction.

After practicing a couple of new pieces, she decided to try and enter some sort of Nazi party talent show, which she only really wanted to do so she could show up any and all Nazi's foolish enough to compete against her.

And now?

She was being turned away?!

Glaring at him for an answer, he simply threw her papers on the table and pointed out something in her registration forms.

"That's the problem Madame Eldenstien."

He spoke her title with such acidity, she was honestly scared to look at the form

Looking down she realized it was one of the simplest questions on the form.

Male or Female.

Of course she had picked female, because although it was a problem in many areas, music had never been one of them.

"Why don't you go make dinner for your husband?"

"Excuse me?! I don't see what my gender has to do with my abilities to play music!"

"Everything. A woman is made for babies. A man is made for everything else."

He leaned in closely and whispered his next blow

"Including music."

Anneliese quickly stepped back and took in a sharp breath.

Never.

Ever since childhood, she was a lady, she had been classy, and all she did was music. She had never been like Julchen, always cross dressing to fight in wars, and rolling around in the dirt doing God knows what.

All of a sudden Anneliese Eldenstien was some sort of menace, who couldn't play her pieces because of a few body parts.

But a lady must maintain her reputation.

She slammed her hands down on the sign up table and screamed

"WAPPLER!* HOW DARE YOU!?"

Some ridiculous Nazi men grabbed her arms, but she quickly shoved them off, and went for her target.

Hubermann.

She grabbed his shirt collar and continued yelling

"I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE A MERE THOUGHT IN YOUR UGLY WHORE MOTHER'S HEAD! I'M BETTER THEN ANYBODY YOU CAN EVER PUT ON THAT STUPID STAGE, AND I'M SURE AS HELL, BETTER THEN ANY MAN EVER PUT ON THAT STAGE!"

This time there were 4 Nazi's.

And she let them carry her out.

Because she was distracted.

Civilians, officers, and soldiers were all pouring into the theater.

Military with swastika's on their arms, but the civilians..

..Her civilians walked around with swastika's in their hearts.

Nothing but love, and admiration for all that was going on around them. Appreciation to their psychopathic leaders who dug their countries out of the slums. Anticipation for Germany to finally control the world. Hope that one day, they could bring pride to their true motherland, Germany.

But they were Austrian.

Almost all of them were.

What about their real motherland?

What about her?

Was she just a tiny thought in the back of their heads, a blemish, reminding them that they'd never truly be as perfect as they'd like to be?

Was she just a menace?

They tossed her outside and she looked through her beloved Vienna.

She'd find a comforting familiar place, and then suddenly, an eagle facing right in the window, or a swastika flag fluttering in the breeze.

Was this even her Vienna?

Her Vienna was warm, and beautiful, full of friends, and radiating pride.

This was...

It was too much.

The warmth had turned into a wildfire of pride and excitement, but none of it was for her.

All for Germany, all for their new Motherland.

What about Austria?

After generations of children grew up, and the difference between Germans and Austrians was in the history books.

Where would Anneliese be?

She thought of Holy Roman Empire, and shuddered, not even realizing how tears were falling down her face.

Poor Kamilla...

Waking up in a ditch at 14 years old knowing nothing but her country name.

But least she stayed alive.

And only because her older brothers decided to all unify after the empire's collapse.

Austria didn't have anybody who loved her anymore

If she died, she would stay dead.

And death scared her.

That impossible thing, suddenly real, and tangible, and close.

"E-Excuse me Miss..?"

She jumped out of her thoughts with a jolt, and faced whoever dared talk to her.

A young man, about 17 years old, and Austrian.

She smiled at him, and started saying how everything was fine, when she saw it.

A military uniform.

And a red armband.

She couldn't help it.

She couldn't let the inferno burn her alive.

So she did the only thing she could do.

She ran to the one place she could claim sanctuary.

She ran home.

Past the nazis, and her people, although they were now one and the same.

Past the red flags, and the eagles, and the crosses, and every single other symbol they had corrupted.

But always, just a bit too slow to outrun the fire.

Eventually, the tall buildings turned into villas, and she was greeted with her white front door.

She clumsily pulled out her keys, and hastily unlocked the front door.

Oh how many times could she have simply knocked, and somebody would've answered.

Italy, Hungary, Spain, Holy Rome, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Ukraine, even Poland..

All once there, now all gone.

Stepping inside, she could still hear tiny Italy scrubbing the floor, Holy Rome's muffled giggles, Hungary's quiet steps, and Spain's cheerful guitar.

Which made her think of how much could change.

And what made her realize, in her big empty house, who the real enemy was.

Time.

Time with it's unforgiving cogs, never seemed to affect Anneliese, but always changed Austria, thus tearing away her loves ones, and changing her heart and soul to an unrecognizable mess.

Which did affect Anneliese.

Not like it mattered.

She gave a bitter laugh and wiped away the fresh tears.

Anneliese and Austria would be gone in a couple of decades anyway.

Sluggishly making her way to the music room, she sighed and placed her pieces back on the piano stand, and opened the window. Taking nothing but a single glance at her violin case.

She placed it on her lap and opened it.

It was beautiful, pretty new, considering Julchen had taken her last one just before the war started.

Now she couldn't play it?

Never, in a thousand years, could anything ever keep her from her music, not the times, not the wars, nothing.

So Monika's party thought it could tell her what to do?!

Without a single doubt, she picked up the violin, and grabbed the bow, positioning it so most of the support was in her chin.

She had been practicing this new style for quite a while, but she had never tried this.

Standing up she smiled as she played her favorite song.

The song engraved in her heart and mind and soul for all eternity.

Then the words.

Although it never really had words, she might as well add them.

"Land der Berge, Land am Strome.."

"Land der Äcker, Land der Dome.."

All that was hers. Never would they be Germany's.

"Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich!"

And she knew. Not everybody could be a nazi, not everybody could forget about Austria, there were bound to be stories told to Grandchildren, telling them how once, there was a grand land called Austria, and they were truly blessed to be part of her descendants.

"Heimat bist du großer Söhne..."

And even the nazi's...She could never hate them, and they'd never forget her. They grew up in her, eating her food, and living her culture. Something would always make them different from the "true" Germans.

"Volk, begnadet für das Schöne!"

A country could never truly be forgotten. They could die. But they'd always be remembered.

"Vielgerühmtes Österreich!"

At this point, she was singing rather loudly, and didn't notice her lovely voice fluttering out the window.

"Vielgerühmtes Österreich!"**

Savoring the last note, she ended with a soft twang on her violin and grinned.

Only to hear soft clapping from outside.

She gasped and quickly leaned out the window, being greeted by an old man and his wife applauding her.

Still smiling, she gave a slight curtsy, which prompted them to clap harder and smile.

She leaned against the window and sighed, feeling her heart soar, and her breath quicken.

Realizing something important ..

She would rather perform for two of her own, then for an entire auditorium of fake Germans.

*Incompetent Prick (God, German curses are the best curses.)

**Land of mountains, land on the river,
Land of fields, land of cathedrals,
Land of hammers, with a good future.
Homeland are you of great sons,
Nation graced with beauty,
much praised Austria,
much praised Austria!

OH HI GUYS! So, this is up! I'm going to be honest, I liked Germany's chapter better, but I like certain things about this one too. My favorite is probably the figurative language, and least favorite's the dialogue and some of the phrasing. BUT! So this is pretty much, women's oppression (especially in the music career) unification of Austria and Germany, and the collapse of the Austrian empire all rolled into one giant mess named Anneliese! So, pretty much for clarification, I didn't really specify Hungary's gender, but as I stated before, this is only the Germanic's genderbent (yes, including Switzerland and Liechtenstein although they don't have a chapter, considering the fact Switzerland was neutral, but excluding the background Germanic countries Holy Rome turned into after it's collapse) So Hungary was a girl in my mind, it's up to however you'd like to see it though. ANYWAY, REMEMBER TO REVIEW, KAY BYE!