The moment that the Icelandic stepped backwards away from him, was the moment everything around him died, everything inside his chest.
"Ísland!" Norway screamed at the top of his lungs, despite the intense heat, he ran towards the edge; Trying to get there in time to catch his little brother. This isn't happening, this isn't happening! It can't be happening. He was only a moment to late, the fabric of his sleeve just brushing the tip of Norway's fingers. All he could do was watch, with an arm hanging inside the volcano as his brother fell, in the short time that he could still see the Icelandics face, past the tears welling up in his own eyes, he could see a smile spread Iceland's lips, and tears in his glowing violet eyes, almost like they had lights in them. The warm, yellow glow around him making him seem like an almost angel, but that thought didn't even cross his mind as time seemed to slow down, watching him.
Knowing he could do nothing to save him.
Norway sat up quickly, screaming "Ísland!", like he did often, clutching the blankets of his bed in his hands, everything still felt so hot, as if he was still laying there on the rocks, leaning over the edge of a volcano as if trying to reach the Icelandic. He had grown so accustomed to this that he hadn't even noticed the tears running down his face anymore, and neither did he do anything to stop it.
Denmark peeked into the room shortly after, knowing exactly what to expect; the Norwegian sitting up in bed, sobbing. He knew very well the memory of Iceland would fade. Slower for some then others. For example Norway, he had to hand it to him. Norway was probably the only reason he knew Iceland existed at one point. With his screaming every night.
Even so, Matthias often forgot until Iceland was mentioned. But who's to judge, it had been years ago.
He made his way over to the edge of the bed, sitting down and gently taking Norway's hands in his own.
"Tell me everything that happened, tell me everything you saw."
Norway's shaky and pretty fragile frame didn't calm down in the slightest, even with the Dane trying to calm him. "He had lights inside his eyes.." He mumbled, after a moment looking into Denmark's eyes, "He had lights inside his eyes."
"Did you see the window close? Did you hear the door slam?" The Dane asked, trying to see how aware he was of his surroundings. Before what happened, Norway used to be able to sense his surroundings in his sleep as if he was watching it happen, it fascinated the rest of the Nordics. Really, it did.
"He moved forward- Everything died."
He retracted his hands, holding a firm grip on the blankets again.
Just then, the door opened, causing the Dane to look over. Finland and Sweden stood at the entrance, Denmark knew why they were there. They had both been woke by the Norwegians screaming aswell.
"Ta-san, you can go back to bed." Finland put his hand on Denmark's shoulder, causing a nod from him and he got up, leaving the room, yet couldn't help but watch for a few minutes before Sweden dismissed him with a hand.
Finland pushed Norway back down in bed, pulling the blanket over him. "You should sleep too, Nore" He suggested, a small smile across his face. Forced, but a smile.
Just like Denmark, Finland and Sweden worried about Norway.
Once Norway closed his eyes, Finland left a kiss to his forehead, like a mother would to a child.
Norway looked at the silver haired male, the light from the volcano giving the silver locks a yellow glow. Norway's arms moving in a gesture that would be that of trying to reason with someone, 'Get away from me!' The words weren't actually heard, but they hit Norway just as hard. "Please- You're going to get hurt!" He replied, taking a step closer to the Icelandic accented boy, who retaliated in a step back. A step back into thin air. "Kid!" Norway exclaimed, rushing over as fast as he possibly could, sliding onto his stomach and trying to grab the falling child, who seemed to get younger with every moment. By the time he had gotten to the edge, trying to grab him. The what used to be a young adult in a brown army jacket over a white dress shirt, with the half laced white boot and brown pants, had turned into a very young child in a white dress, with sleeves to long for his own good. The expression he could see on his face was made of pure fear, his small hands reaching out to what he knew he couldn't reach, almost as if in hope it would save him.
Norway watched, the heat from laying there almost matching up to the heat that built up in his throat, making it difficult to breathe.
He felt like.. Well he had failed the child. He had done something to deserve this.
...But what was it?
A moment later, he found himself sitting up in bed again, although he had found a much more restful sleep then normal, although it still wasn't what he needed to make it through the day.
He needed to know the name of that kid, the child he had let fall into a volcano.
He felt such a strong connection to him, so why couldn't he remember his name?
Why was it so important that he found it out?
Norway sat up, bringing himself into the kitchen, maybe a glass of coffee would help.
"Anko." He said, stopping the stirring of his coffee to look over at the Dane, who was only just walking into the room. "Whadda need Nor?" He asked, stopping in his tracks.
"I had a dream, there was a kid. Falling into a volcano, does that ring a bell? I'm trying to remember his name."
Denmark racked at his brain, why was that so familiar? "Tell me what he looked like. Did he seem afraid of you?" The Dane replied a few minutes of thinking later.
"He was a kid I once knew, white hair... It's a little fuzzy." Norway sighed, he knew he shouldn't have asked. This was no help.
He sat himself down on the couch, trying to figure it out. He was well aware that maybe if he let the thought go for a bit, it would come to him later on.
But he couldn't let go of it, he had a feeling that if he stopped thinking about it for to long, he wouldn't find it out later.
"Don't forget me."
"Huh?" Norway looked around, that voice, he knew that voice. "Who's there?" He asked, gaining no reply. Should he be scared? No. This voice seemed to calm something inside him slightly, that kid. That kid from the volcano, he knew it.
He couldn't forget that.
Little had he realized, Finland had walked in, and had seen him talking to thin air, he knew about the trolls, yes, but when the Norwegian didn't seem to know who or where he was talking to, he was a little concerned.
"Norway? What's up? You're acting a little strange." Finland's gentle voice reached Norway's ears, causing his shoulders to drop.
"I could say it but you wont believe me." Norway looked over at Finland, and eyebrow raised. "Wont I?"
Well, there was no use in hiding something. Well, not telling. "There's a kid in my dreams, I know him. I have to find him-"
He started, falling silent after the last bit, had he really said that outloud?
"I believe you!" Norway sighed, knowing it probably wasn't true. "You say you do but you don't deceive me." He finished the rest of his coffee, putting the cup in the sink before he could debate on having a second one. "It's hard to know he's even out there, it's hard to know if you still care." Norway whispered to himself, unheard by the Finn.
Dead hearts are everywhere.
Dead hearts are everywhere.
"Did you touch him, did you hold him, did he follow you anywhere?" The Swede was a little more talkative then normal, asking strange questions. Although for some reason, rolls reversed; because the Norwegian couldn't find the right words to say, other then shaking his head.
They make me feel I'm falling down
They make me feel I'm falling down
He was a kid that I once knew. Norway's vision began to get fuzzy, taking a seat on the couch again. "I.." He squeezed his eyes shut.
It was right there! On the tip of his tongue!
"You what?"
Norway's eyes shot open, "Iceland!" He yelled.
In the next moment, like a literal snap of the fingers, he was sitting up in bed.
He knew what he had to do.
He threw the blankets off himself, not even bothering to get a coat or even shoes as he ran out the door, not even feeling the cold snow against his bare feet. This was to important.
Little to his knowledge, he had awoken Finland, who already had everyone dressed in boots and coats and going after the Norwegian.
He was a kid that I once knew.
Now they're all dead hearts to you.
"Iceland!" He screamed again, running towards him. Iceland had just noticed him when he allowed himself to fall backwards, the Norwegian quickly running over and diving down over the edge after him. Time seemed to slow as the Norwegian caught up to him, once he was in arms reach, he pulled him close, trapping the Icelandic in an almost death grip.
Although neither of them minded.
The feeling of falling - like, the kind you get when you're in a roller coaster and it goes down really fast - wasn't even there in their stomachs, and neither of the two brothers were afraid.
It was to late to change anything, and they'd probably burn to death before they even touched the lava.
The Norwegian risked a glance upwards, the view of the sky was almost perfect. The embers floating around making the midnight sky only look more beautiful.
Although, what disturbed this perfection?
The soon to be last three Nordics, looking over the edge.
He wanted a way to tell them he was fine. To tell them he was about to die happy.
There was one way to do that.
He remembered.
He understood.
Iceland was smiling the first time, smiling to say that he was okay.
Why hadn't the Norwegian understood the first time?
He smiled up at them, as wide as he could. Going to the point where he had to close his eyes.
He had to be sure they saw it.
Now they're all dead hearts to you.
They were kids that I once knew.
He opened his eyes again, looking at the Nordics, trying not to let his smile diminish from the looks of horror on their faces.
The looks of sadness.
After all the history they shared together, he could understand it. He had previously stood in their shoes.
They were kids that I once knew.
He focused his attention on Iceland again, who's arms were wrapped just as securely around Norway as Norway's were around Iceland.
"I don't know if there's a place we'll meet after this, but if not, I'll try not to forget you." Iceland whispered, although through the falling, with the sound of wind roaring in their ears. Norway shouldn't have been able to hear that.
But I guess everything changes when you're about to die.
Now they're all dead hearts to you.
Norway looked down, time had no longer felt slow. Rather, it was to fast. There were so many words he wanted to say. Things he didn't say to Iceland, things like apologies for not being more laid back.
But all he could do was brace himself for impact with the heat that would kill him. Shutting his eyes as tightly as he could.
But the impact he thought he'd feel never came. He slowly opened his eyes, he was laying down in grass. Alone. Looking around he noticed that grassy hills were all you could see for miles, taller mountains then he had ever seen before off in the distance. The only tree anywhere near him was the one that stood next to him, small compared to everything else.
The sky was full of stars and he could see the same Northern Lights he could from his home, and just light enough to see perfectly, but dark enough to see the stars and Lights clearly. It was truly beautiful.
He sat up, rubbing an eye drowsily. Unaware of the presence behind himself until his shoulder was tapped, causing him to look behind himself.
"If your friends jumped into a volcano would you?" He chuckled quietly.
He knew that.
That was the phrase he used on Iceland when he was a child. And he was using it on him now?
Despite this, Norway smiled and stood up.
"Yeah. I would."