Memories of Old

Chapter 2: The First Memory

When we finally opened our eyes, we found that we were no longer underneath the table. We weren't even in the building anymore! We were in a spacious field covered in an untouched layer of pure white snow. It was silent.

I sat up straighter, warily, expecting my head to bump the table. When it didn't, I cautiously stood up, and found that we, indeed, were no longer in the destroyed Meeting Room. The others soon followed my example, standing up and stretching. It was then that everyone started to talk about where we were and what happened.

"Don't look at me! I didn't cast that spell! The spell I was casting was a simple communication spell to tell the others where we were and request help. I'll look in my spell book to see if it might clue me in on where we ended up, though." England said, thumbing through his little book of spells and incantations.

"Ah! I am not feeling the cold, da?" Russia said, causing us all to realize that we weren't cold. In fact, we weren't even making footprints in the snow! America reached for a tree nearby, only for his hand to pass through it.

"AHHH! I'm a GHOST!!" He cried, clinging to Canada.

I then saw something... an old tree. I cautiously walked forward for a better look. When I saw what was etched into it, I froze; my stomach dropped. My heart was beating rapidly in my throat as my blood turned to ice in my veins. "V-Vino...?" I called out, using the sacred nickname our mother used to call Romano. I only used it when I was truly terrified or in desperate need of his comfort.

Immediately, Romano was at my side, not even bothering to hide his concern. I didn't spare him a glance, though, my eyes were glued to the etchings in the tree.

"What is it?! Are you hurt? Are you okay? Do you feel—"

"Look." I cut him off, pointing to the tree-trunk with a shaking hand, leaning on Romano for support.

There, etched in the tree was a heart with the initials "E. F." and "C. V." Romano froze like me.

"H-how? Felice..." He rasped out, beyond shocked. The fact that he was using Mother's nickname for me proved this, as he only used it when he was truly scared. "This tree was cut down over two thousand years ago..."

My eyes widened in realization. "Vino... I think... Doesn't this clearing look familiar?" His eyes widened in realization as well.

During some point, the group migrated over to us. "Dudes, what's up? You look like you just saw a ghost or something!" America said.

"Maybe we have..." Romano whispered, still staring at the carving in the tree. He reached his hand out, only for it to pass through the trunk.

"Mon Cher! Are you okay?! You look as pale as the Italie twins!" France cried out, looking at England who was staring at his spell book in shock, his face a sheet-white color that almost blended into the snow.

"I... I found the spell... There's no way I could've cast this... It hasn't an incantation, and is an intent-only spell. You have to have known that it exists in order to cast it... But..."

"Just spit it out, already, aru!" China interrupted impatiently, but England didn't seem to care. He looked up at me and Romano; to this day, I've never seen him look so apologetic.

"It shows the memories of the person who was hit by the spell..." He stated.

"Wh...what?!" Romano and I cried out in shock. It would explain the field, the tree, why we couldn't touch anything, and why our nation felt so far away... But...

"Vino... I'm scared... I don't want them to know..." I muttered to my fratello, who pulled me into a one-armed hug.

"I know... They won't leave you, you know... I'll always be here, Felice... And if they do leave you, I'll put the largest Hit in history on them." He said, making my lips twitch in a small smile.