HetaOni: Time Marches On - CH. 17 Spain and Romano

“Anyways Romano, What happened to Italy?... You called out to him before you passed out,” Spain asked, knowing something bad must have happened for Romano to have had such a terrible reaction.
The memories Romano got were still a bit hazy, but he had been trying to sort through it. Where the lines connected only worried him though, “I-” Romano thought it over carefully. From what he could remember, the lights went out, and Veneziano got scared. Typical of his brother to get scared of the dark.... But then... that Thing appeared out of the darkness. There was still a break, a missing piece after that on his end. A flash of someone who looked vaguely familiar, but he had no recollection of... and then more darkness. His heart still felt shattered, as he recalled the feeling of it bursting. Just what had happened to his little brother? That type of pain in the heart, and being alone against the monster... was he alone? It definitely started that way, but who was the other person?... Spain was still waiting for an answer, “I-I... I think... he got himself really hurt again.... Or he’s... dead.” He almost didn’t want to say that last part. Even thinking of it as a possibility was terrifying... And the more he thought of it... the more he realized how likely it was.
Spain wrapped his arms around Romano in a hug, and for once Romano didn’t fight it, “It’s alright Romano. This time we will be there to get them all out alive.”
Romano tried to change the topic. He hated feeling weak like this. It was better to take action. “Nevermind what happened for now. We have other things to worry about. We need to get back to our time-” Romano noticed the missing magic circle, "Where did the fucking magic circle go?!"
“That’s right, While you were were passed out the circle faded away,” Spain remembered.
“Well how the fuck are we supposed to get back then? England was the only one who could send us back like this!” Romano cursed in frustration.
“Ah! That reminds me. England came by here too. I thought it might be our England since the circle had just disappeared, but I turned out to be wrong,” Spain explained to Romano.
Romano punched him in the arm, “Idiota! We aren’t supposed to mess up this timeline! What if what you said changed our loop?!”
Spain rubbed his slightly bruised shoulder, “Sorry sorry. I was kind of desperate to get us back.”
Romano crossed his arms, “What did you talk about anyways.”
“Oh? Umm, well I told him we were from the future, and we were trying to get back to our time,” Spain replied.
Romano let out a sigh, “Well if you said something like that, there’s no way he’d believe you.”
“I guess so,” Spain chuckled nervously, “hmm, but when I asked him if he could use his magic to send us back, he turned me down flat.”
A little irk mark appeared above Romano’s head. Somehow that irritated him more than anything else. Here they were trying as hard as they could to get back to their own time and not screw up this one, and the only one who could possibly be of any help to them, had outright refused. Romano wasn’t going to take it. He took Spain’s hand and started dragging him out of the library, “Which way did he go?.... I’m not letting him leave us stranded here dammit!”
“Roma-” Spain noticed Romano’s determination, and the pain he was trying to replace. They were stuck here anyways, and he’d already managed to screw up this timeline, “... He left out this way,” He pointed left taking them out the bottom exit.
Romano led them out, taking them to the piano room first. He had no idea where England might have gone, but he might as well try every room until he found him. What did he have to lose?... His fratello was dead.
The Piano stood stark white in a relatively white room. It stood front in center in an otherwise fairly empty room. Several cabinets and bookshelves lined the right wall, but other than that it was empty. Empty, other than their memories. This room had been the place of many discoveries: The clocks, the safe’s combination... But it had also been the place of many horrors... And many deaths... Romano turned around heading back to the hall. No one was here now. Time to move on.
They headed upstairs, if he wasn’t up there then at least they could cross that floor off. Then he could go floor by floor and find out where England had gone. However, as it turned out, they wouldn’t have to wait that long. As they reached the top of the stairs, they could hear voices.
“Did you hear that just now?” Germany asked.
“Yes, just a moment. I’ll go check it out,” Japan responded.
“NO!.... I’m sure it was just a creaky floorboard... Please don’t go Japan!” Italy’s voice broke out, making Romano’s heart lurch. When was the last time he’d seen his fratello? What was the last thing he’d said to him?... It was no use. He couldn’t remember.
The others from this loop continued talking. “Don’t worry I’ll stick close. If we run into one of those things England mentioned we can all fight together,” Japan responded.
“I-I’m going with you then!” Italy insisted. Romano stared at the top of the staircase in front of him, knowing that just passed it was his his brother. Still alive and working with his friends.
“Romano,” Spain tugged at Romano’s sleeve more urgently, “We should go.”
Romano nodded, not realizing he had tuned Spain out until now. Ever since his brother’s death he’d had a hard time keeping focused. And hearing him now.... Romano turned with Spain as they attempted to slink back down the stairs.
“R-Romano?” Italy’s voice caught in his throat, as he saw his older brother and Spain near the bottom of the stairs. He felt his heart tighten upon seeing them again. How long had it been? This was only the second time he had been here. A second chance to get his friends back...  but he hadn’t seen him since before the world conference meeting the first time... Oh, but why did he have to come here? He had tried so very hard to make sure at least he never found out about this place.
Romano couldn’t turn around... not yet. He wasn’t ready. Because this was a failed time loop. This Italy would lose his friends again. And again and again, until he got to where his brother was,  and then... He would die. He knew that the moment he turned around he would feel like he had his brother back... even now he felt such feelings growing. ...But he couldn’t let himself get attached to this Italy. Because this Italy, wasn’t the same, without him though he would become his brother, back in their own time loop, who he needed to find a way to save!
“Italy? What are you-” Japan joined him, followed by Germany, “Oh I see, so Spain and Romano have joined us. But how did you get in? The door is locked.”
Spain tried to handle the situation on his own, “Haha. Looks like we’ve been caught," He joked.
“Romano. Why did you come here? You were supposed to stay at the meeting place!” Italy let out. He couldn’t be here. How much did that change? How many people was it that he had to look after now? He wasn’t any good at this.
Italy’s hand reached out hesitantly and touched his brother’s shoulder, causing him to spin around suddenly. “!?” Romano responded letting out a sound that would have been a cuss... but seeing his brother’s face again just brought tears to his eyes. Which he quickly rubbed away, “Idiota! Don’t sneak up on me dammit!” Romano growled trying to keep his tough composure.
Italy looked surprised but quickly smiled, “Sorry... But Romano you really shouldn’t have come.”
Romano was tired of playing this game again, “Don’t tell me that. I’m Italy too dammit! Everything that you’ve been through-”
Spain cut him off, “Actually we’re trying to get back. Have you seen England?”
Romano punched Spain in the chest, “Bastard! You cut me off!”
“I’m sorry. We’re looking too, but so far we haven’t been able to find the exit. But how did you... the door...” Japan answered.
“Ow, Roma~ That kind of hurts,” Spain tried to hold Romano off.
“Why are you looking for England?” Germany asked.
“Ah, sorry, I guess I didn’t explain very well. You see we’re from another future,” Spain said.
“You can’t just say it like that!” Romano scolded him.
“Another future?” Germany asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“What the tomato bastard was trying to say, was that this isn’t the only time you’ve tried to escape. We’re from a time in the future, where England had enough of his magic to manipulate time. He sent us back here to make sure some of the things we did didn’t mess up this time, but now the circle has vanished, and we don’t have a way back,” Romano let out in one breath.
“A future time? ...What are you talking about?!” Italy responded nervously trying to keep up his own facade. Romano just stared at him with a frustrated look.
“So now you are looking for our England to send you back,” Japan responded not missing a beat.
“Wait... But if what you’re saying is true. Wouldn’t that mean that we don’t get out this time?” Germany questioned, “... And if you were trying to prevent changing time, Why tell us this?”
“... Ah... Yes? I mean...” Spain took a deep breath, “Yes we’re looking for this time’s England to send us back. I ran into him earlier and tried to explain our situation, so I’ve already kind of messed up this time by talking to him. Anyways, Roma doesn’t think I did a good enough job talking to him, so he wants to try.”
“You’re wasting your time,” England said from the other end of the hall, “I haven’t changed my mind about this time.”
“England!!” Spain jumped, not realizing he had sneaked up on them.
England walked over to the rest of them, “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t worry the others. If you can’t go back to your time or whatever. Then do your best to help us here.”
“But England, if what they say is true. This time has already failed,” Japan argued.
“They also said they were trying not to mess up this time. Time has already changed, So it’s still possible we can make it out of here,” England refuted.
Italy stepped forward. “Please... If they have a chance in their time... You have to send them back!” Italy begged.
England felt a notch in his stomach, remembering the last time they had been through. Italy, had felt so alone that he ended up doing all the fighting himself, leaving him to turn back time. To have him ask something of him now... “Even if I wanted to! It’s not like I can just throw this amount of magic around. I’m not strong enough for that,” England complained, trying to avoid confrontation.
“Please, there must be a way,” Italy begged.
“What about just one of us then?” Spain asked, “If you could even just get Romano bac-” Spain broke off as Romano elbowed him in the ribs, “Agh!”
“I’m not leaving you behind, bastard,” Romano growled.
“Awww~ Am I really that important to you? That makes me so happy!” Spain grinned.
Romano stepped on his foot, “It’s not that!... I just don’t want anyone falling behind this time.”
“Ahem,” England cleared his throat, “Anyways there would be no point to sending just one of you back since it wouldn’t fix either of our times. It would simply be a waste of magic.”
“Then...” Romano held out the journal to England, “Can you at least send this back? Without it, our time can’t try again, and there would be no more chances.”
“That’s-” Italy cut himself off before anyone could hear him.
England thought about it. Even an object of this size, to send it through time, to the future at that, would take an immense toll on his magic. Not diminishing it, but he had planned to use it to fix this time. He looked at their faces. Begging, hopeful. He sighed, “Oh, alright. I should have enough for that. But the two of you had better help out while you’re here.”
England summoned up the magic within him, letting it spread to his fingertips before creating a circle on the ground where he set the journal down. There was a bright flash, as England connected this journal with the time it was from, looking for clues from all the possible outcomes at this point by matching wavelengths, sending it finally back to it’s own time.