Lost in Time

Feliciano heaved another rock away from the pile that used to be a building. He watched it tumble down and join Ludwig, Gilbert and Antonio at the bottom. He waved.

"Feli, stop messing around. I want to finish this building before dinner." Lovino chided.

"Alright, Lovi." Felciano said. He returned to the pile in front of him and began shifting rocks and concrete.

It had been two years since the attack on Britain. Lovino and Feliciano still suffered from nightmares and probably always would. They hated thunderstorms and tended to seek each other out when one arrived even with Ludwig and Antonio close by. Feliciano had a scar on his right foot. Lovino had a matching scar on his left. A month after the attack, they began cleaning. Feliciano often searched for Alfred and Arthur, assuming they would also help clean, but with most of the streets destroyed, Feliciano got lost looking for them. Lovino said they were probably dead. Ludwig and Gilbert thought Arthur made it, Alfred having saved him. Antonio agreed, but didn't say aloud with Lovino nearby. Feliciano didn't know who to believe.

While the brothers pushed more rubble down the pile, Feliciano felt the rocks and debris caving in. He went still. "L-Lovi." He said, "I'm sinking."

Feliciano's twin brother looked up from his own pile and his eyes went wide. "Just stay there. I'll have Ludwig or Gilbert come up." Lovino shifted in the pile, making Feliciano's sunk-in area shake.

"Wait! Lovi-!" The crevice in the rocks broke, sending Feliciano down into the building. He screamed. "Ludwig!" Feliciano landed painfully on another pile. It knocked the air from his lungs.

"Feli!" Lovino's head peaked through the hole, a halo of sunshine outlining his face. "Are you okay?"

When his breath returned, Feliciano answered. "I-I'm fine. Just... got the air knocked outta me." He called, sitting up and sliding down the pile of... books.

"Alright! I'm going to get the guys! You stay there and don't touch anything!" Lovino disappeared.

Feliciano called a soft "Okay." Then whipped his head around. He had landed in the foundation of a building. Glass, books, wood and concrete littered the floor. Cobwebs were strung across the walls with an eerie elegance. Feliciano shuddered when he heard scratches and scuttles from the darkest corners of the place. The building felt strangely familiar.

Feliciano stood and dusted off his knees. Books slid from their place when he moved to stand. "Hello?" He called out, knowing no one would answer. He sighed and began examining the place.

He walked past a burnt pile of wood. It was standing and in a box shape. A desk. Behind it stood a metal spiral staircase. Feliciano felt his breath catch. It couldn't be. He turned and looked around the room. Burnt and tumbled over bookshelves. Papers and books littered the floor, most of them burnt. He walked the perimeter of the room. There were other libraries in England. He had to find evidence.

Feliciano ran his hands over the rubble beneath the staircase. He felt something soft between two rocks. He looks closer. Burnt fabric. He gulped and began shoving against the top rock 'Please don't be a body. Please don't be a body.' He thought.

The top rock tumbled down and Feliciano closed his eyes, scared to see what was beneath it. Taking a deep breath, he cracked open an eye and found a pile of paper. The ends were burnt and a colored ribbon, he guessed it was blue, was tired around them. He picked up the pile and wiped off ash and dirt. The top paper said 'To Arthur Kirkland'. Feliciano felt his hands tremble. He was in Arthur's library. That means...

He shoved the letters into his pocket and began looking for the bodies. He didn't want to find them, but he felt they deserved to be buried properly.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig shouted from above. Tilting his head back, the little Italian saw his German leaning into the hole. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ludwig." Feliciano swallowed. "Do you know where we are?" He called.

"No. What did you find?"

"We're in Arthur's library." Tears welled in his eyes. "I think they're still in here." His chin quivered.

"Oh, Feli. Hold on. We'll send Lovino down to get you." Ludwig disappeared.

"Okay." Feliciano called to air. He looked around again. There had to be a trapdoor or something. No body parts were on the floor, they hadn't found any in the rubble either.

Feliciano walked around. All the bookshelves were toppled over. All facing the same way. Except one. Feliciano rushed to it, the dust padding his frantic steps. When he reached the bookshelf, he knelt down and ran his hands over the floor. He heard a rope fall to the floor behind him. If Lovino got down here before he found Alfred and Arthur, his brother would pull him out, leaving the bodies for someone else to find.

"Come on..." Feliciano bit his lip. Then his fingers brushed against something cool and metal. A ringed handle.

He wrapped his fingers around the ring and tugged. It barely creaked. He stood and heaved with all his muscle mass. Slowly, the door opened. Feliciano gagged on the stale air.

Lovino slid in behind him, holding a flashlight. "What are you doing?" Lovino snapped, moving to Feliciano quickly.

"I need to find Alfred and Arthur." Feliciano said, grabbing the flashlight and finding a ladder with his foot.

"You can't go alone!" Lovino grabbed Feliciano's hand.

"Come with me."

Lovino looked at the hole above them, shining light into the dark space. He sighed after a minute and walked to the hole. "Antonio! We'll be a minute!"

"Kay! Just be careful! We don't know how stable this is!" Came a shout back.

Feliciano started down the ladder, his blood pounding in his ears. Lovino followed.

After he dropped to the floor, Feliciano raised the flashlight and shined it on his brother's back. When Lovino reached the bottom, Feliciano took hold of his twin's hand, tightly, and swung the flashlight about the room. The small area was dank and smelt terribly. Feliciano felt like gagging. He first came upon shelves of preserves. Probably from the old ladies who brought Arthur food. There was a small puddle beside the shelf, Feliciano looked questionably up at his bother.

"Water. It's probably from all the rain and snow this year. It's slowly seeping between the rocks and stuff."

"Oh." Gulping, Feliciano brought his light from the shelves and found what he had been looking for.

Two skeletons lay curled beside each other. Only clothes remained. A blue sweater, and a leather jacket. Near their feet were two more animal skeletons. They were also curled in on each other. Tears ran down Feliciano's cheeks and he started gagging. His friends... as skeletons. It was too much. He was going to pass out.

"They suffocated." Lovino said. His voice shaking. "The water let in bugs and stuff. It ate them-"

"Stop!" Feliciano shouted, dropping the flashlight. It rolled to the ladder. He sank to his knees, sobbing.

"Oh, Feli." Lovino knelt down and grabbed his brother around his shoulders, his trembling hands buried themselves in Feliciano's hair. "At least they were together."

Feliciano shook his head. He didn't know what he was disagreeing to. He just wanted to say no. "They-" he sniffed. "They j-just got b-back together a-and this is what h-happens!" His fingers dug into his brother's arms.

"I know. It's not fair." Lovino whispered, closing his eyes tight.

"Feliciano! Lovino! Time to go!" Gilbert was calling them.

Slowly, the twins stood. Lovino ushered Feliciano up first. He grabbed the flashlight then followed his brother. When they reached the library floor. Lovino slammed the latch closed and hugged his brother.

"We can re-build the library. Just the ground part. Make it a memorial. How does that sound?" Lovino said, wanting Feliciano to stop crying. The little Italian nodded.

"Good. Now let's get out of here." Lovino tied the rope around them and called up to the three men. It took two to pull them out and Ludwig lifted them from the hole.

Feliciano buried himself in Ludwig's arms. He wanted to start construction right away.

A library was built. Not quite the expanse of Arthur's, but Feliciano loved it. They put a small memento over the latch, telling a summary of Alfred and Arthur's lives. Away from each other and together.

Matthew visited in the winter. It was warmer in England than Canada. Eric went to Canada in the summer. Francis was still jealous of the puppy-boy, but seeing Matthew so alive relaxed the Frenchman.

Berwald got Tino a puppy for when Eric was away. It was almost like he never left. Mathias and Nikolai lived across the street from Berwald and Tino. Nikolai was still trying to get Eric to call him big brother.

Feliciano and Lovino had nightmares still. Feliciano's happened at random. Ludwig was able to comfort him. Gilbert stayed close to his brother. One day, Feliciano and Lovino brought home a wounded chick. It was abandoned as an egg and wouldn't grow much. Gilbert had cleverly named him Gilbird.

As for Alfred and Arthur, they drive a blue truck in the stars with their cats sleeping on the passenger seat. Arthur sits in the middle, close to his American.

USUKUSUK

Author's note: I felt you guys deserved this. And I have read all of those wonderful comments! OMG! I love you guys! I won't answer them, but know that I got them and I am grateful you have loved my story! Thank you soooo much!

*Hannah-fish: -sobbing-