China sighed twirling the old clay cup around on his palm. The sides held a worn faded green with the character for wisdom carved into one side and painted with black ink. He stared at the clear liquid rolling around inside the cup.

"Man up or I'll beat you with my peace prize!"

"Vee fratello why are you so mean?!"

"Stupido! You donna be so useless Chigi!"

China sighed his head throbbing under the veil of rising memories, like fog rolling over the sea.

"Western nations are so childish –aru."

He spoke like a well-played script; lines encrypted allowing only silence for that one line.

Groaning he massaged his head, "At least I'm home."

He was feeling old today, older than he had in a while. He could see flickers of happiness, blood, war and memories even older than that.

"Dude I'm not your little bro anymore!"

"Fratello~!"

Brothers.

China could remember when he had brothers; when he had real siblings; not just nations he adopted. He even remembered his mother.

Every morning she would pull her long dark hair up scrunch her nose in distaste as she powdered her face, lined her eyes with black ink. She would slip layers of red robes; then help dress Yao and his siblings and lead then them to the temple.

Yao smiled starting down at his cup.

She had named all of them too; his four brothers and one dear older sister.

There was Huang; he was the eldest. Stubborn and proud he was the state of Ch'u; and the brother Yao would always squabble with. Even as children they rarely ever stopped arguing.

He was proud, arrogant even; but he was fair and just. He would lead showing his people carefully showing them what they had to be proud of.

Chuan was the only girl; she was the state of Yen. She was beautiful; like their mother but with distinguishing differences. Sweet and calm she would always heal her siblings wounds. She had never liked to argue; and became the peace keeper due to this.

It was ironic really, she hardly ever smiled; but, when she did Yao believed another flower bloomed under her radiance.

K'u was the quiet one, he later became Ch'i. He was the sage of the group. He was the closest in appearance to Yao. Yao thought that his mother had once said that they were fraternal twins, but it was so long ago that now he couldn't say for sure.

It was painful to think of K'u, he always gave quiet wise advice; and now whenever Yao spent a day with Kiku he would have to have a few days off to rest his soul. It hurt him to think of how close in personality Kiku and K'u are.

Shung was the youngest but by far the sturdiest. He went through more than Yao would wish on anyone. Endurance and stoicism where seemingly engraved in his heart like the channels of the great river. Originally he was Chin but he spilt up and became Wei, Han and Chao after practically ripping apart into three bodies.

Yao was the middle child, younger than Huang and Chuan; but older than K'u and Shung. He was Ch'in; the mightiest of them all. He was the dragon, the power and might of the family.

And he was the killer of all he could call family.

Yao marched into the room. The drab colours from the wall devoured his senses, but he ignored them instead meeting the only colour from the room; Which was his family sitting by a dark wooden table. His great robes fluttered from the swiftness of his walk. His hair was cut short barely reaching to his ears but yet seemed messy and disarrayed. On the center of the table a scroll was placed out with several clay cups surrounding it.

He seethed at the sight of his siblings, the Wars had gone on for too long; there where now permanent boundaries between them and him.

But that didn't matter today; since it was the day they spent together as family to grieve over the loss of their mother whom had died at the end of the Zhou Dynasty.

Yao took in the sight of his siblings swallowing his bitter resentment that had blossomed over time. Shung had spilt, two children Han and Wei sat on his lap squirming in their desire to go and explore.

Across the table Chuan kneeled beside K' u pouring tea into an old cup with the words 'wisdom' engraved on the side.

Chuan's dark hair rolled off her slim shoulders, her dark lashes fluttering as they met Yao's. She wore deep red robes that had once been their mothers; she looked striking in them.

K' u looked up brushing his long ponytail back smiling slightly as he gestured beside him.

As Yao moved he noticed that his brother was wearing trousers like the barbicans wore.

"You are not wearing the traditional garments K' u." Yao scolded seating himself at the low table.

"Yao please-." Chuan began but she was interrupted by K' u.

"You should try it sometime brother." K' u smiled chuckling lightly, "Horses are far more durable that chariots. Perhaps leaning from others; even the barbarians, can teach us something."

"Do you not care for your Chinese traditions?" Huang retorted as he stormed into the room sitting down directly across from Yao, "What will become of our traditions, our past?"

Yao frowned, even though Huang was arguing with K' u his eyes never left Yao's. The statements wasn't for his brother it was a rebuttal against the little respect Yao showed for his older brother.

"Calm yourself Huang, we are here in peace remember?" Chuan hushed placing a delicate hand on Huang's shoulder as she sat beside him, "The wars of our Princes have nothing to do with our family."

Shung nodded, "Let's argue tomorrow."

"Of course that's what you would want Shung!" Huang sneered," Peace to one, one day then hatred and armies the next day! Choose your enemies coward!"

Shung growled clenching his fists, "You call me a coward? Try keeping yourself alive with enemies all around! I have more to look after than all of you!"

"Huang, We didn't come here to argue please!" Chuan snapped

"Chuan is right; this is a dishonor on Mother's memory." K' u said as the table fell into tense silence. K'u looked up while his continued to spin his cup, "War will always be there tomorrow. But peace will not always last, please Huang let's enjoy the day while there is still the five of us."

Huang bristled, "There will always be the five of us! I won't be shamed by death!"

Yao snorted before he could stop himself, "then what will you be shamed by? Living? Having the humiliation of all your brothers?"

Bolting up right Huang and Yao stood glaring at each other fiercely. K' u sent Yao disapproving looks which he pointedly ignored.

"Where is your respect!?" Huang bellowed

"Old traditions cannot rule us! We need laws in order to maintain order!" Yao snapped back

"So you justify massacring your brothers; your siblings, people by that?!" Huang roared his face flushed with ferocity, "Without honor what do you hope to achieve? You have lost yourself Yao! Power is useless without honor!"

"Power is useless without family." K'u interjected standing as well.

"It will blind you from what is truly important." Shung murmured sighing deeply

K'u nodded in agreement placing one warm hand on his brother's shoulder, "Brothers please we really might not be together forever. One of us might end up alone for centuries. No matter what our difficulties are I would rather one day of peace with my family than a thousand days alone with all of my family dead."

Huang froze, nodding he sat down his face sullen and weary, "Forgive me, I lost myself."

Chuan place a hand on her older brother's shoulders kissing his forehead gently, "It is all our fault. We have all lost ourselves a little."

Yao sat down, sighing he turned to Shung with a sheepish smile on his face, "May I see Wei and Han?"

Shung smiled happily releasing the children from his lap, "Even the mighty Yao loves children after all."

K'u snickered as Yao blushed rolling his eyes, "Oh just shut up –aru"

"Aru."

Several eyes peered back as Yao- no China now, had accidentally said the last part of his memory out loud. He didn't say 'aru' back then; he didn't know these stupid western nations back then after all.

Leon looked at his with bored eyes, raising on thick eyebrow, "Like sorry? All I said was it was lunch break, you didn't have to tell me to shut up."

China shook his head standing up, "No sorry that was just a little memory."

"Ja as we said we will resume this meeting after lunch, meet back here about 1:30 ja?"

Several people shot out of the room, others were dragged. Sighing China grabbed his cup walking over to the tea pot.

He lifted the new ceramic pot musing lightly about the bad flavour it had in comparison to the old clay pots he used in his own house.

Yes he had a lovely old pot, one with the symbol of 'serenity' on it; it had been Chuan's for many years. Even now he could almost imagine her pacing around the floor with her gorgeous long hair shining like black silk pour drinks for all the nations. Glaring at them with her tight mouthed frown but when she got to Yao she would flashing him that wonderful meek smile. Huang would of course be sitting with Taiwan; he probably would have adored the girl dressed in pink. He was always the type to flatter until he himself got embarrassed.

Chuckling Yao shook his head, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

This all could have happened.

Yao placed the cup down on the table breathing deeply memories floated forward blooming as a tear rolled own his cold cheek.

Blood soaked the moist earth, dying the rice fields pink. In front of him bodies laid massacred and mangled. Chariots and horses lay broken in the waste of flags and red. The order reeked soaking deep into Yao's every being.

Crimson red, blood red.

Like the red of Chuan's lips when she wore makeup. The burning of his mother's robes; her favorite rich ruby dress.

That red.

Yao marched along his face tight and ghostly pale as bodies and corpses squished under the marching boots and mud. He tried desperately not to think back to the last time it rained here. Thin mud coated his shoes.

"K'u!" Yao bellowed his voice breaking, "K'u!"

He was met by a groan. Twisting up a body rose from the mud; blood pooling from the gash across its abdomen. Mud caked the black hair; clumps of dried mud matted the greasy strains.

Racing over Yao tore his garments pressing the cloths against the wound. K'u blinked his beady eyes vague sweat pooled into his eyes; slowly chuckled blood bubbled through his mouth.

"What did I say? We wouldn't be together forever." K'u whispered

Yao shook his head willing his tears away, "We can rule together!"

K'u made a horrid choking sound; listening closer Yao realized he was laughing.

"I'm dying Yao" K'u wheezed grasping Yao's hand, "Fading."

"No." Yao pressed the cloth harder against the wound; blood running over his fingers, "I won't let you."

K'u laughed, "I'll bleed to death brother, then fade, like the rest of our family."

"No." he bit his lip, tears rolling down his cheeks, "No, I won't be alone."

"Take care of our land Yao, our people." K'u breathed painfully, "We will be with you, you know. Always. After all one brother is not enough to rule all of Ch'in."

Ch'i shuttered coughing, "We are part of you. You have Hung's pride, Chuan's kindness, Shung's endurance, and for all things merciful you better get some wisdom you idiot."

Yao laughed despite himself, "I-I'm sorry."

"Leave it fool we will be the ones sorry by the time you join us." K'u voice began to fade out, "You have a long life ahead of you, wars, famine, and death. Look for peace brother. War is just… so futile."

K'u blinked growing still. The flow of blood eased, nearly stopping. Quickly Yao grasped his brother tightly as he faded morphing into the wind.

Soon all Yao was holding onto the blood stained cloths; weeping. He could feel them now, his people, and their people.

And he was alone truly. For the first time alone.

Rain broke over his head as rivers of red water trickled down the trampled grass. Little canals trailing down pleasantly despite their grotesque colour. But despite everything, he was grateful for the rain, after months of waiting it had finally come.