The first one he had found was Japan. The older nation was taking a walk in a bamboo forest when he found him, all alone. China's first impression of Japan was that he was rather rude, but he took in the boy all the same.
The second and third were the Koreas. South Korea was a tad strange, constantly announcing that he invented everything. Japan didn't seem to like him much; China had caught him bullying the younger boy on ocassion. North Korea was much more timid than his twin; he much prefered a good book over roughhousing, as well as enjoying song and dance.
The forth was Macau. He was calm and amiable, and was the first to suggest settling things peacefully whenever a fight broke out between his siblings.
The fifth was Hong Kong. It was obvious that he took after China, from the facial features to the long hair. He was... Hard to read. One would think China would know how to deal with kids after practically raising four of them single-handedly, but he was completely lost with Hong Kong.
The last but not least was Taiwan. The only girl in their group, she was cheerful and strong-willed. To China's dismay she didn't seem to like him much, prefering Japan to the point of telling China to back off of him.
Despite the all the fights (and there were a lot), it was obvious they were a family; or at least, the closest a group of nations could get to being one. But China wasn't stupid; he knew this feeling of closeness couldn't last forever. They were nations, and nations existed because humans decided they did, that they for some reason had a different nationality from someone else. In a way, their entire lives were indirectly controlled by other people; and who was to say those people would simply let their family be?
Every day he spent with the others, he tried not to think about it too much, whilst when alone he would brace himself for the inevitable. Tommorrow could be the day their family fell apart; might as enjoy what time they had left, and prepare for it when he could.
Nothing could've helped him keep Britain from simply taking Hong Kong after the First Opium War.
Nothing could've helped lessen the pain he felt when his empire simply handed over Macau to Portugal.
Nothing could've helped him stop Japan from attacking the others in their small former family.
Nothing could've prepared him for the Koreas being torn apart, North occupied by the Soviet Union and South occupied by America.
Nothing could've prepared him for Taiwan trying to declare herself a country independent from him.
No matter what he did, he would never have been truly prepared for their family falling apart.
