Chapter 10: Tornare

"So they kept growing." Japan grinned as he leaned back into the chair. He looked around at the nations in the room. Only Romano, Italy and England were really paying him any mind.

"Si. The fir trees were saplings I'd planted. I figured a little variety wouldn't hurt, and I tried introducing some animals later on. I didn't really think they'd take, but..." Italy smiled.

"It's incredible... in that place... I could forget what happened." Romano smiled softly.

"Ah, but Vi-nii..." Japan spoke up, drawing Romano's attention with the old nickname. "You forget... Feli-nii did prevent this from happening... Our home... It's safe."

Romano's eyes widened in realization as the information clicked. "I think I'd forgotten..."

"Understandable, considering the sudden millennia's worth of memories we've received." Japan nodded.

"I have a question, Italy." England looked at the quiet Italian.

"Hm?"

"My book of spells... do you still have it?"

"Oh, si. It's helped me out a great deal!" Italy grinned as he pulled out the old weathered Grimoire. He hesitated a moment before handing it to England.

"Thank you." He smiled before opening it. He paused on a specific page, confused. "That's odd... my magic... I've sealed some of it inside." He ran his finger down the divide of the pages, releasing the spell he'd placed upon his own book.

He then doubled over in pain, clutching his head. The three nations stiffened, realizing what was happening.

"A-Arthur...?" Italy hesitantly asked, unsure if one of his oldest friends remembered or not.

"Bloody hell, when you said it was a headache, you weren't kidding." England ground out through clenched teeth. In his pain, he forgot to speak English. Instead, he spoke Modern Japanese. The same language that is only spoken in the time of the Regios.

"It is you!" Italy grinned, glomping the startled Englishman.

"Yes. And that's not all I've gotten back." He smirked as he flared an oddly yellowish-white colored magic on his fingertip.

"You mean you still have it?!" Italy gasped.

"Sort of. I figured this kind of thing may happen, which is why I told you to give my Grimoire to my past self." England twitched in mild irritation. "Something you failed to do."

"I'm sorry... I just couldn't part with my only remaining connection to you." Italy sighed. "You didn't exactly have a Dite for me to remember you by like the others."

"Fair enough. Though I'm still disappointed. I used my power to send my memories and abilities back in time through the seal within this book. Once it was given to my past self, I knew I'd investigate the sealed magic and ultimately unlock it, restoring myself." England explained. The other nations were now listening in.

"So you're from the future now, too?" France blinked.

"Exactly. Think of me just like Feli, here. Tempus told us to go back. He never said how." England smirked.

"You're still an idiot for..." Italy looked down.

"If it's of any help, I don't remember dying."

"Not really. But it's good to have you back." Italy smiled. "So! How's it feel to be older than China?" Italy grinned, ducking under the indignant swat from the blond.

"SHUT UP!" England huffed.

"Nah, he's just in denial. He can't claim we're older because he can't remember just when he was born." Romano teased.

"Now, now, be respectful of the elderly, Vi-nii." Japan chuckled, causing England to glare.

"I beg your pardon?! You three are in the same boat as me!"

The four burst out laughing.

"Well, I was going to name you the Future Trio, but... you aren't a trio." Prussia sighed.

"Why?" Germany turned to his brother with a baffled expression.

"Hm? Because I'm just that kind of guy." He grinned. "After all, Mi amigos here and I are the BTT~ Big Trouble Trio!" He laughed, looping an arm around France and Spain.

"I thought BTT stood for Bad Touch Trio?" America whispered to his brother.

"Why would it be called that?" Russia butted in, but Canada nodded.

"No, America's right. That's the underground name for the trio. They're the only ones who don't know."

"But why?"

America sighed. "Because people think that Spain has a thing for Romano—pedophilia—France is a pervert—only partially true—and Prussia's er..." He trailed off. "Yeah, so essentially that's why. Though none of it's true. As far as I know, France just enjoys teasing people. Spain only thinks of Romano as a brother or son, and Prussia's all bark and no bite. He's a softie."

"Papa France is really a gentle soul. Did you know? He's got a helpline for both humans and nations. He texts people, so they can rant or get advice without any prejudice." Canada smiled.

"Oh? So he is helping people to be less lonely?" Russia tilted his head.

"Yeah."

"So what do you say to finishing up these memories?" England suggested. "I mean we're nearly to the Jump."

"You're right. I'll be happy once this is all finished." Italy sighed. "After reliving everything... I need to see to believe, you know?"

"To remind yourself that that future is no longer valid?" Japan chipped in.

"Exactly."

"Hey, Feli..." England spoke up. "Do you think it'll show what happened after the Jump?"

Italy looked up and blinked in surprise. "You mean what happened after I went back in time? This whole last year? I hadn't thought of that."

"I'd assume so. I mean, it's important in preventing this future, hai?" Japan nodded along to his own words.

"Yeah, especially if you're taking out guys from the TF era... Damn, that's weird to say." Romano shook his head.

"Wait! So where's the other Italy?!" America asked, looking around.

"I'm right here, you bastard." Romano glared.

"No! I mean, like... if Feli went back in time and stuff, why isn't there two of him?"

"You mean a paradox? Hm... I hadn't actually thought of that." England tilted his head. "I mean we were just more concerned with actually getting here, not necessarily what we'd do when we arrived."

"Tempus explained it to me during the Jump." Italy spoke up. "I essentially replaced my past self. Er... I suppose you could say that I absorbed his existence or something like that, which is why I still have all my scars and stuff."

"So whereas we've just regained our memories and abilities, you've physically jumped backwards as your future self?" Prussia blinked, as Germany stared at his brother.

"You actually understood that?!"

"Hey! Have a little more faith in your big bruder, ja?!" Prussia pouted. "I am older than you, you know."

"I just wish you'd act it more often." German sighed.

Before anyone could say anything more, the room faded away to show Arthur, Feliciano, and Tempus riding along in the Vargas Roamer. Both Arthur and Feliciano had a small backpack each that held only their most precious possessions.

"So you found the Lay Lines, then?" Romano asked, observing the determined expressions on the three.

"Si. But there was one catch." Italy answered.

"You see, the Contaminoids are just as attracted to Magic as they are food, for the most part. So our destination was actually..." England swallowed thickly.

"A Hive." Feliciano muttered under his breath as they came upon the outer edge of a canyon.

The nations all looked down in absolute shock. Below them were thousands of Contaminoids, and only a few hundred were larvae. There were holes burrowed into the canyon walls, serving as homes for the overgrown pests, and several elders slept soundly away, even as a few mates guarded the pregnant females fiercely.

"Of course this couldn't be easy." Arthur moaned in horror.

"You're absolutely sure that this is the intersection?" Feliciano leveled Arthur with a serious look.

"What do you take me for, Austria?! Of course I'm certain! Though I'll admit... I didn't expect a Contaminoid Hive..."

"You could technically call this one of the most dangerous places on earth." Tempus chimed in, earning a glare from the two once-nations.

"You aren't helping." Feliciano informed.

"Not in the slightest." Arthur agreed.

"Though he honestly reminds me of America."

"You know, I was thinking the same thing!"

"I'm sitting right here, you know." Tempus pouted.

"Oh, we know." Feliciano grinned.

"We just don't care." Arthur finished.

"You're acting like twins, and it's honestly freaking me out a little." France shuddered.

"What, we can't finish—" Italy started.

"—one another's sentences?" England picked up without missing a beat.

"Grah! That's creepy!" America cried out.

"Oh, relax. You and your brother did it to me all the time." England crossed his arms.

"Yeah, but at least we look alike!" America defended.

"What, you're saying that fraternal twins can't speak in sync, now?" Romano raised an irate eyebrow.

"N-no, I'm just saying that—"

"Al... shut up before you choke on that foot in your mouth." Canada cut off his brother, causing France to chuckle.

"No fair! You're supposed to be on my side." America pouted.

"Says who?" Canada muttered under his breath.

"At any rate..." Feliciano's voice brought the nations attention back to the memory at hand. "What are we supposed to do? We can't just charge in there, it's suicide! Besides, we have a long-assed incantation as well."

"Very true... If only there was some way of... distracting them..." Arthur trailed off.

"NO!" Feliciano sent his friend a sharp glare. "I can guess what you're thinking. There's no way I'm sacrificing another friend!"

"But Feliciano! It's the only way..."

"I said no." Feliciano sent the blond a fierce look. "No means no, Arthur. We're jumping back together. I'm not heading back alone." Arthur had the decency to look ashamed.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so eager to sacrifice myself." He sighed. "I suppose I just..."

"You just what?" Feliciano pressed.

"I'm afraid. I failed my entire family. America... Canada... France... everyone is dead, and I left them all behind me... How could I possibly face them again?" Arthur sighed. "I'm ashamed of myself. I don't think I could look them in the eye knowing that I let them die."

"What happened wasn't your fault, Arthur." Feliciano spoke up, his expression serious.

"But..."

"If Kiku's death, and my brother's death weren't my fault, then those three..." Feliciano sighed. "The day you let me blame myself is the day I let you do the same. Until then, we'll just have to do our best to try and get it through the others' thick skulls, si?" He sent his friend a lighthearted smirk.

"You know... I remember meeting Iceland and Sealand a while back." Arthur spoke up suddenly.

"Really?!" Feliciano grinned.

"Yes. Sealand survived because he was a micronation, not a full nation like the rest of us. He'd been staying with Iceland at the time, who'd survived the Initial Blast. Well, I can't say I really met them, but I'd received a phone call from Sealand just before the cell towers went down." He smiled wistfully. "I wonder if they're still alive out there?"

"Does it matter?" Feliciano spoke with a grin, causing the Englishman to look up in surprise. "When we're going to save everybody anyways?"

"Oh, you!" Arthur broke out into a grin as he gave the Italian a noogie.

"If you two are finished?" Tempus interrupted with an amused smirk.

"Hey, we could seriously meet our end, here. Let us have a bit of fun before we go run off to our demises, will you?" Feliciano scoffed.

"Have a little more faith, old friend." Arthur argued. "We aren't so easy to kill."

"We're a lot easier than we used to be." Feliciano shot back.

"False. We're just as easy as we used to be, we just do not revive thereafter."

"You are incorrigible!" Feliciano laughed before he sobered up a bit. "Did you ever find out what happened with the 2Ps?"

"No. I've been unable to make any sort of contact with them since the Initial Blast. I've no idea if they had a similar phenomena or if they are just fine on their end. Even the link isn't working. Nor is magic."

"If that's the case... What do you say to not telling anyone?" Feliciano's eyes flicked to his friend before focusing back on the monstrous horde of Contaminoids below them.

"You mean when we Jump Back?"

"Si. That way we might be able to just... forget it. Like a bad dream. And they won't tiptoe around us like we're made of glass or something."

"That would be annoying, to say the least. Not to mention the fact that there are those who would seek out the ability to use Kei... or blame the entire incident on America..." Arthur sighed.

"Actually... I'd prefer it if you not inform anyone anyways." Tempus spoke up, startling the two.

"You would?" Feliciano raised an eyebrow. "Or you forbid it?"

"A little of both, actually. I understand if a situation arises where you cannot get around it, but time is something that should be altered as little as possible. Normally, I'd have to erase your memories of the future after you fixed the irregularity, but seeing as you two are immortals, I'm allowed a small loophole. However, you cannot willingly reveal when you're from unless you've no other choice. To anyone. Well... you can reveal it to those from the future if you want, but..."

"We understand." Arthur nodded his head, turning to look at Feliciano. "Not even our 2Ps will know. I suppose that answers that question, now, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does." Feliciano smiled.

The scene shifted a bit to show the three standing at the edge of the canyon. "That bit of rubble right there marks the spot where we need to perform the Jump." Arthur stated, pointing to what was once some sort of monument.

"Right!" Feliciano grinned, his Dite already activated. "How long will it take you to perform the spell?"

"Six minutes." Arthur informed. "That's the fastest I can do it without it losing any power."

"Then Italy and I will do our best to keep them away from you for those six minutes. The Jump should take only forty seconds including the incantation I taught you."

"You mean that weird language?" Feliciano spoke up.

"Its official name is the Ryuuzu Tongue, or the Language of Time." Tempus corrected.

"Ryuuzu... that sounds oddly familiar." Feliciano muttered to himself.

"I think it's because it resembles Old Japanese." Arthur informed, causing Feli to nod.

"Everybody ready?" Tempus asked, and the two nodded.

There was no verbal signal. Arthur shifted his foot, and the three were off like a bullet. Feliciano slaughtered as many Contaminoids as he could right off the get-go to lower the number of enemies. He flared his Kei, hoping to distract them from Arthur as he got into position.

The memory seemed to last forever. Tempus pulled out a Dite from nowhere and helped Feliciano defend Arthur as he held his Grimoire and preformed the spell that amplified time magic.

Those six minutes were the longest six minutes that the nations could ever remember experiencing.

Arthur was nearly finished with the spell when an Elder Contaminoid reared up behind him. Feliciano and Tempus were occupied with other foes to defend the bushy-browed Englishman.

"ARTHUR!!" Feliciano cried out, knowing that Arthur couldn't stop his spell without serious consequences.

"Kesesesese!" The Contaminoid was cleaved in half, revealing a laughing white-haired man. "And this is why I am Awesome!" Gilbert laughed.

"P-Prussia!" Feliciano cried tears of relief.

"Hey, Ita! Looks like you got yourselves into a real pickle here, huh? I may not understand what's going on, but I figured it was something important. So I brought some backup." He smirked, as several other Contaminated around them fell.

"Don't worry, Feliciano!" Natalya grinned. "We've got your back! And Ivan's waiting at home for me. I can't just leave my little brother, so don't you worry. I'll return home when I'm finished here."

"Honestly! It's been nearly five thousand years since I've seen you, and what do I find but this disastrous mess." Roderich complained, brandishing a Dite of his own.

"Belarus? Austria?!" Feliciano looked around, seeing faces he'd thought were long dead. "E-Egypt?! Cyprus?! Australia! Lichtenstein! Estonia! Even Norway!" Feliciano stopped to stare at a very pretty girl. "Uh... Remind me who you are again?"

The girl looked rather ticked off. "I'M THE PHILIPPINES!!" She roared angrily as she cleaved three Contaminoids in half.

"I'm sorry!" Feliciano quickly apologized to the obviously strong girl. "But... everyone..."

"You're alive..." Arthur smiled as he finished his spell.

"Ja! I had a feeling you were getting into some big trouble, so I gathered up everyone I knew was alive to come and help!" Gilbert grinned.

"So this is everyone that survived?" America looked around.

"It was everyone that Prussia knew was alive. There could be more, but he just hadn't found them, yet." England replied.

"I want to know why you recognized Cyprus but couldn't name Philippines." Romano crossed his arms. "I know you have a better memory than that."

"Sorry, Fratello. I was sort of overwhelmed at the time. I just blanked on her name!" Italy apologized. "But can you really blame me? It'd been five thousand years since I'd seen any of these people."

"Yet you still remembered Cyprus." Romano huffed.

"Take that complaint up with my brain not me!"

"We appreciate the help." Tempus smiled.

"And who might you be?" Roderich raised an eyebrow.

"I am Tempus. The Electronic Fairy of Time." He tipped his hat before jumping out of the way of an attack.

"Wait!! You mean that you two are going to go back in time and prevent this?!" Jett (Australia) grinned.

"Yep~!" Feliciano chirped happily. "We need you to buy us forty seconds. That's all. Then Arthur and I will be able to Jump back to before the Initial Blast... We can save everyone!"

"Elizabeta..." Roderich smiled softly.

"New Zealand..." Jett smirked.

"Latvia... Lithuania..." Estonia let a tear run down his cheek.

"Ukraine... Ivan..." Natalya whispered.

"Den... Swe... Fin..." Norway gained a determined look.

"Luddy..." Gilbert grinned. "Yeah! Come on, everyone! FOR THE WORLD~!" He cried out, and the voices of the other once-nations rose to meet him. "AND FOR OUR PEOPLE!!!"

Feliciano and Arthur were ushered by Tempus into the right position. "Now you know what to do. The two nodded as they focused their Time Powers and spoke in a strange, rolling language that the nations had never heard before.

"Shit!" Gilbert cried out as a Contaminoid broke their line of defense.

It made a beeline for the two chanting individuals.

'Feliciano!' Arthur's voice rang through mentally.

'Arthur?! Since when can you?!'

'There's no time. I will not be able to join you in the past, I fear. But please...' He shoved his Grimoire into the startled man's hand. 'Give this to my past self. Promise me. And make time... MAKE TIME THE WAY IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE!'

Arthur flung himself before Feliciano, taking the attack that would've killed them both.

"NO!" Feliciano cried out, even as a portal opened behind him. He fell, looking one last time upon the smiling face of a dear friend that he was unable to save.

A/N: I am so sorry about the wait for this chapter, everyone! I've had a lot going on irl, and I've been working every single day. I'm just getting over a rather nasty cold, so please forgive any discrepancies or mistakes in this chapter.

I also dedicate this chapter to my wonderful friend, Gio~! Hope things get better for you!!

So Feliciano has finally fallen backwards through time. I know I've a lot of readers in the Philippines, so her showing up was a low-key shoutout to you guys~! ^_~

And it appears that I cannot write something without making some kind of Mansion Reference. XD To clarify, Feliciano has not gone through the Mansion in this story. The Initial Blast took place before he could hear those rumors, and so he never became the Ryuuzu no Ko. And then with preventing everything, he never really actually went, in the dimension of this story.

So look forward to the next chapter, everyone! This story is nearly finished. Now all we've left to see is how Feliciano deals with being in the past again with everyone alive. ^^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!

Words: 3,212

Pages: 7

Posted: 05/12/2019