rotting like a wreck on the ocean floor{bk vs taot

The world started spinning and Ludwig knew he didn’t have much time left. Could he make it through this fight? The District 3 girl was able to land a hit on him, bringing him to his knees, even as her own teammates turned against her. It was strange, this whole situation. Gilbert had made it almost to the last fight, while Ludwig barely made it past the third day, and he was supposed to be stronger! He could almost hear his brother laughing so hard that he was crying, slapping Ludwig on the back as he crowed "C’mon, bro, you can do better than THAT!!" on the top of his lungs.

The thought of Gilbert made Ludwig realize just how lonely he’d been since he died. Sure, Gilbert didn’t exactly have much good public opinion on him, but he was popular with the workers and the market dealers. Ludwig had been shy from day one, and his only real company had always been his big brother. He would always pick him up when school was out, and ask Ludwig to tell him what he learned today, and then tell him that learning was important and he should study hard so he could live an easier life when he was older. He himself had never finished high school, dropping out so he could work and take care of what was left of their family.

Gilbert was family, the only family Ludwig had ever known, and he was gone. It wasn’t fair! His brother had fought so hard, had so much to live for, yet he still died right here, the same place where Ludwig stood dehydrated and injured. Suddenly, he understood: he never stood a chance in the Games in the first place. Gilbert had made it as far as he did because he still had something to live for; Ludwig had nothing left to lose. He had no family waiting back home, no friends…no one. He never came here to gain fame or riches, never came here to take other peoples’ lives. Or have other’s take his.

"I’m telling you to be brave, Ludwig,” Gilbert said. “Being brave doesn’t mean winning. It means not being afraid to lose."

Before the girl could hit him again he loosened the belt that held the falchion in place, surprised that his hand wasn’t even shaking.

"I’m sorry, Sylvania, Hawthorn," Ludwig said, turning to his teammates. They had so much more to lose than him, so much more waiting for them in the end. "But from here on out, I’m only going to get in the way." He positioned the falchion blade at where he remembered the main blood vessel to be on his left arm. "Go win, and go home," he said.

That’s right; I never came to win… he thought.

I came here to go home.

He sliced the blade fast before he could hesitate. Bright red blood spilled out from the gash, making the soft ground beneath him even muddier. The sudden loss of blood was quick to take effect; Ludwig barely noticed himself collapse from the dizziness. He closed his eyes…it wouldn’t be long now.

…

SSSHHHWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Another train flew by. Ludwig thought he caught a glimpse of someone he knew in the window, but the train had been going too fast. He sat back in the bench where he’d been waiting for quite a while. When he asked himself, he wasn’t exactly sure which train he was waiting for, or if he was boarding a train or picking someone up, but he was pretty sure that once the moment arrived, he would know.

For now he contented himself with watching the people around him. It wasn’t very crowded, but there was a fair amount of people in the station. Children, family, and friends stepped off of the trains into the welcoming arms of waiting family and friends, with sons and daughters rushing up to greet their parents; or it was the other way around, people sending their loved ones off to their destinations. Some people wore only suits, checking their watches as they ran on and off the trains, briefcases in hand for some meeting they might be late for. Others just stood there and wandered around the station, not really sure what they should be doing.

Ludwig sighed and checked his watch. Did he miss the train? Was it delayed? He was beginning to wonder whether he really should be here waiting at all. And he was, for the first time in a long time, bored. Deciding that he could use some fresh air, Ludwig got up and walked across the giant lobby of the station and out the rotating doors, into the crisp daylight. It wasn’t warm, but he could tell it was the first few weeks of spring. Snow still covered the ground, but instead of being muffled everything seemed crisp and sharp. Buttoning up his coat, Ludwig picked a direction and started walking down the paved road.

The park was, for the most part, peaceful and quiet. Children played around with each other in the patches of grass that still had snow on them, their breaths fogging the air around their faces. Young couples strolled leisurely past him, hand in hand, enjoying the warmer weather.

Ludwig turned the corner and saw some grand mansion up ahead. It looked like some fantastic library like one he had seen in the Capitol once, seemingly so long ago, even though he reminded himself he had just got here. Wide, ornate steps led up to the main doors, fountains with frozen water flanking them. The outside air didn’t bother him at all, but he had the sudden urge to get out of the cold and into the warm building where there were sure to be many books to pass the time with.

Then he turned around and saw him, coat, earmuffs and all, standing a few yards behind him.

"G-Gilbert…?"

His brother grinned. "’Course it’s me, idiot! Who d’ya think I am?" There wasn’t a trace of his injuries on him (Ludwig then vaguely felt his left hand in his pocket).

Like a dream, Ludwig walked up in front of his brother, who was, to his surprise, a few inches shorter than him, even though he looked older than when he died. But everything else was the same: platinum-blond hair, strangely red eyes, raspy voice, and cocky attitude. Seeing him standing there, Ludwig now knew just how much he missed his brother, so very, very much missed him.

"Well? You gonna give your brother here a hug or what?" Gilbert demanded, opening up his arms. Before Ludwig knew it he had rushed into his brother’s embrace, crying his heart out.

"I…I missed you," Ludwig sobbed, crying into his brother’s shoulder.

"Aw, I missed yeh too, bro," Gilbert said, patting Ludwig on the back. After what seemed like forever, Ludwig pulled away and Gilbert held up his shoulders. "When the hell did you get so friggin’ tall?"

"Uh…I grew…?"

"You don’t say. Well, this should make ya shorter!" Gilbert suddenly yelled, bringing a handful of snow out of nowhere and throwing it down on Ludwig’s head, laughing like a maniac. Grown up or not, dead or not, his brother was still the most immature being in the world.

"Oh yeah?" Ludwig shot back, a smile on his for the first time in a very long time. He figured he must look pretty scary because Gilbert’s face immediately changed and he took a couple steps back (Ludwig decided he liked being taller for a change). "Perhaps this can make you taller!" he yelled back, scooping up a handful of snow and throwing it with precise aim at his brother’s face.

"Gah!! Ouch! -- you were so much cuter when you were little!" Gilbert wailed, taking off down the pavement to no avail. He then stopped at another snow bank that hadn’t melted and grabbed handfuls of wet slush, throwing them back. Some of them actually hit Ludwig, one right in his face, Gilbert laughing hysterically when it did.

The snowball fight went on for some time, until finally the brothers were too exhausted to throw any further than two feet. "C’mon, Ludwig, let’s go home," Gilbert said, adjusting his earmuffs and procuring a dark-green Peacekeeper hat out of a pocket and stuffing it on Ludwig’s head.

"Home…?" Ludwig asked, puzzled.

"Uh-huh! Otherwise I’m gonna catch a cold out here," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leading the way.

Ludwig thought for a moment, then smiled. "Why are you so worried about that, Gilbert? I thought idiots don’t catch colds," he said.

"Why, you little -- !"

It was now Ludwig’s turn to laugh, and it felt like the sun just got a little warmer.

[glow=00ccff,2,300]Fin.[/glow]