What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're just the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
-Foo Fighters, Pretender
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
A bedraggled young man with chestnut brown hair wearing a blue suit sat in the center of a painting of a clock, in bright red. Exactly twelve bodies lay on the clock. He was screaming- screaming until his voice was hoarse, until he could not talk anymore. He was stuck- stuck in this endless loop of death and coming back. He had turned back time to save his friends. And each time, they were gone, and he was the only one left. He dragged his finger, covered in the red liquid, across the ground, and this is what he wrote:
12: Yao
11: Matthew
10: Alfred
9: Arthur
8: Kiku
7: Ludwig
6: Gilbert
5: Francis
4: Ivan
3: Heracles
2: Natalia
1: Me
"You were right, Lovi," he whispered. "I am weak." He said. "And stupid." He touched the clock and just like that, time was turned around.
? ﾟﾕﾛ?
"Vhat? Vhere are ve?"
"I think Itary-kun just turned back time again."
Slowly, everyone else from their spots, slightly confused but none the worse for wear. Francis rushed to Arthur.
"Mon chere, are you alright?" He hugged him tightly.
"Get off of me, Frog!" Arthur exclaimed.
"But I am your fiance, what am I supposed to do?" Francis asked.
Ivan went over to Alfred, who was still lying on the ground, a stunned expression on his face. "Sunflower? Are you okay?" He reached out a hand to help the blonde boy up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"
"I'm okay, now that you are."
Italy was the only one not celebrating. If only they could understand what he had been through to get them back here.
"Japan?" The voice of the quiet Greek man said, followed by the purr of one of his cats. Heracles stood up and embraced Kiku.
"I thought you were gone…" Kiku broke down, crying in the taller man's arms. Heracles held him closer, and when they finally broke apart, he gave Japan his beloved kitty. It purred in his embrace, this little ball of fluff that could turn bad at any minute. It was much like Kiku himself- cuddly and calm one minute, but won't hesitate to slit your throat with his signature katana the next. Heracles pulled him close. Kiku's tears stained his shirt as he let all his feelings out.
"Thank you, Itary-Kun… I forgot that you can do that. Does it hurt whenever you turn back time?"
"N-no… not really…" Ludwig came closer to Feli.
"You're not yourself, Italy. Vhat happened to make you so sad?"
"Nothing. Not , really."