Memories of Old

Chapter 27: Tragedy of the Heart

Chapter 27: Tragedy of the Heart

The memory whirled around us, making us stumble. Feliciano was shown, standing atop Grandpa Rome's Hill, though instead of the great city of Rome sprawled out below the drop of the half-hill, half-cliff, it now rolled gently down to Holy Rome's Meadow.

"Another dream?" China asked.

"Si..."

Atop the hill was an splintered wooden pole, stained with blood. Beside it, fluttering in an unseen breeze, was the flag of the Holy Roman Empire. Feliciano stared at the tattered flag—though not nearly so tattered as Rome's had been—in shock.

"N-no... Not again!" He reached for the flag, as if to protect it somehow, when it started to disintegrate, slowly.

Feliciano shot up in bed before the flag could completely dissolve. He gasped for breath, eyes dilated in fear.

"Hey, HEY!" Luci said, sitting beside Feli.

"L-Lu...ci?"

"Yeah, it's me. You saw that dream, too?" He asked, trying to calm down his distressed 1P. Though Luci, himself, also looked slightly panicked.

"We... we have to go!" Feli whispered. "I won't let him die like I did Grandpa!"

"Listen! I'm not saying don't go, I'm just saying calm down for a minute." He glared at Feli, waiting until his breathing was under control. "What does your gut say?"

"My... my instincts are screaming at me... I... I feel twitchy and antsy, like if I don't go somewhere now, I'll lose him forever."

I shared a glace with Luciano.

"Then go." Luci said. "Don't ask Austria or Hungary. Just take the fastest horse you can, and go."

Feliciano didn't hesitate. He ran out of the room as quietly as he could and went to the stables. He struggled a bit, but a recent growth spurt allowed him to saddle the horse by himself. It was a rather pretty silver dappleback, who seemed as restless as Feli was.

"It's okay, Thunder." Feli soothed the animal, whose ears flicked towards the nation with a low nicker. "I need you to run with me. As fast as you can. We have to get there, do you understand me?" Feliciano felt silly, speaking to the horse, but the mustang snorted and pawed the ground, moving his head up and down in a motion reminiscent of a nod. "Grazie."

"He said that he knows that you need to be somewhere... He feels the same. He's honored that you chose him." America interjected.

"How...?" England sent him a baffled look.

"My bonded is a horse, dude. I can understand Thunder no problem."

In a well-practiced, fluid motion, Feliciano mounted the horse and took the reigns.

A sharp yip followed by a large dark furry form caused Thunder to pause, as Asher ran into the stables.

"A-Asher! Please, let me go! I need to get to him... Tell Fratello I'm fine, but I'll be gone for a while. I'll stay with Acel until the war is over." Feliciano pleaded.

Asher whined with a low growl, showing his distaste for the entire fiasco.

"I know you don't like it, but... I have to... Please?" Feli shifted restlessly on the saddle, as Thunder nervously pawed the ground. This was a wolf, after all. Even if Asher wasn't fully grown yet.

Finally, Asher let the two pass. "Grazie." Feli flashed the wolf a small smile, but it was weighed down with worry and concern.

"Hiya!" They took off at a run, and the nations found that they were being pulled along. China stumbled and fell, but the ground continued to move under him, as it did the rest of us. It was a bit unnerving, watching the world fly at you and phase through you.