Memories of Old

Chapter 12: New Arrivals

Chapter 12—New Arrivals

"Okay, dudes. We need a break." America announced. I honestly agreed with him, and it looked like everyone else did, too.

"Alright. Everyone in favor of heading back to the Pocket Dimension I created earlier?" England asked. Many nods and affirmative noises were made. "Very well." He started chanting in Latin again, and with a flash we appeared back in the same living room area as before.

Was it really only a few hours ago? It feels like years... I thought to myself.

You'd think, of all people, that you would be the one most acutely aware of time.

Well, excuse me for being used to a different timeflow than ours.

Ying... it's been years, now...

But can only a handful of decades really make up for thousands?

"Veneziano? You okay?" Romano asked, interrupting my mental conversation.

"Si. I was just thinking... We've seen so much already, and we're only through our first childhood." I said.

"Speaking of which, do ya mind cluin' us in on what to expect in the next chapter of your life?" Prussia asked, kicking back in a relaxed position on the couch, taking up the entire thing. Germany elbowed his brother. "Ow! The hell, West?!"

"Be a little more sensitive!" He chastised.

"Well..." I was about to tell them a little bit, when a flash of light blinded us all. It looked exactly like the light that brought us here. When it died down, two figures stood in the middle of the room.

Oh, fuck no! I didn't mean it seriously! I cursed fate in every language I knew, as Yang busted his gut laughing his ass off.

"Where are we?" Hungary asked as she looked around at the stunned group of nations. South Korea looked just as mystified.

"Ita?! Oh! You're okay!" Hungary lunged for me, wrapping me in a gentle, motherly hug. I smiled and clung to her. I may not have wanted her there, but she was very much appreciated.

"Does anyone know what is going on?" South Korea asked, looking at myself and America in particular.

"You might wanna sit down for this one." America said, gesturing for the two new arrivals to sit down.

"Well... Where to start..." England then went on to explain about our situation.

"Wait..." Hungary said when he'd finished. "You're saying that we have to watch all of Ita's memories from childhood to present?! That's not right! You have to stop this!" She yelled, indignant.

"You really have the worst luck, you know that?" South Korea looked at me with sympathy.

"No kidding." I replied with a tired sigh.

"We've tried. There's no way out." Romano said tiredly. "We've already gotten through our first childhood, and—"

"First childhood?! What's that supposed to mean?!" Hungary looked so lost.

"Fuck. I don't want to explain everything again!" Romano yelled, pulling at his hair.

"Ve~ Fratello~ You shouldn't pull at your hair like that. You'll go bald!" I warned him.

"I don't care! Nations can't go bald! Look at China! If he isn't fucking bald after 4,000 years of nationhood—and several centuries of parenthood—then I certainly won't go bald after 2,000!" He turned to Hungary and South Korea.