A/N: So…it's been quite a while since I was actively posting Hetalia fics, but that is mainly because I had gone through through a two-month long writer's block starting in January, then was occupied by a new project, set to begin releasing in October this year! (I'm busy studying for finals now, and it's probs the second-most important exams in my entire life, so I can't say much.) Here's a first look into my new project! Don't worry, though, as future works won't be as political as this one.
TRIGGER WARNING: Extremely politically sensitive topics, death and historical Hetalia. Readers from/in Mainland China, please do not actively voice about this incident in public, because I sure as hell don't want anyone to get arrested because of me. Also, minor historical inaccuracy.
About 10pm, 3 June 1989
"WHAT did you DO?"
It was the first time in many years that China had raised his voice against his 'superiors', so it was surely shockingly out-of-character to China's Boss, but at this point, he didn't care. His people were in danger, his instincts were screaming, and should this be proved to be true, he was not taking this lying down.
"I sent the army – your People's Liberation Army – into the city," his Boss stated, as though he were the child he hadn't been since the Qin Dynasty, "you know, to quell the riots in Tiananmen Square, so the authority of our great Communist Party will no longer be questioned. Don't you understand, China?"
Well, of course he understood, he was 5,000 years old, for heaven's sake! "But they are CHILDREN ah!"
"It does not matter. I'm doing this for you, China!" babbled the 'great' leader.
"AIYA! STOP TALKING RUBBISH WITH ME, YOU SELFISH FOOL!" He was shouting now. His children were in danger! There were thousands gathered at the Square! "CALL THE TANKS OFF, NOW!"
"I am the leader of the People's Republic of China, and you will do as I say!"
"I am the People's Republic of China, and you will do as I say! Isn't the job of the government to 'serve the people'?"
Minutes later, a fight had broken out, and it had taken about five garrisons of troops – by pure chance – to lock him behind a hidden door.
A reinforced hidden door.
To his fallout shelter.
He fought. Hammering, pounding on the unbreakable walls. They couldn't do this. He couldn't leave thousands of his helpless children to die.
"FANG WO CHU LAI! NI MEN ZHEI XIE HUNDAN, FANG WO CHU LAI A!"
(Translation: "LET ME OUT! YOU [profanity deleted], LET ME OUT!")
Neither the walls nor the door budged.
Around 5am, 4 June 1989; Tiananmen Square, Beijing
Deafening gunshots filled his ears. Searing sirens, fearful shouts, pounding feet, rumbling wheels, panicked yells, roaring tanks: a haunting cacophony of the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse. An invisible knife was stabbing into his very heart, leaving no visible wound behind, though this would be set to change if this went on to be an absolute massacre. It felt like a dream, a nightmare as Beijing raced through Tiananmen Square, past the screaming, fleeing crowd of students and their supporters, literally running for their lives. Bodies were shot down by their People's Liberation Army – liberation, ha-ha; run over by the fleeing horde and pursuing tanks; with blood still leaking from them like a cr*ppy American horror film.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Four more deathly shots rang out, and a couple next to him toppled like the fallen sculpture of the 'Goddess of Democracy', rivers of deep crimson pouring from holes in their foreheads, chest, throat. They were so young…
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
He wasn't even supposed to be here, but it was a Personification's primal instinct to be at places where sh!t is hitting the fan. There were merely Fate's favourite playthings, destined to (almost) never pass on to the Otherworld. Or perhaps it was a good thing (for him, at least) – he had experienced enough over-complicated bureaucracies for a lifetime.
Why am I thinking about death and the Otherworld at a time like this? I mean, I'm not Shandong…
Oh, yes, of course…
The world was getting blurrier by the second.
Time was slowing down.
Footsteps echoed around him.
Why…must this…end so violently…?
Five Minutes Ago; Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Hong Kong couldn't sleep.
He couldn't understand why, though – perhaps this was merely a part of his transition from a manufacturing centre to a financial hub, a 'city that never sleeps at night', like New York and London. The headphones and stereo playing Cantopop were put aside, and the TV came on. Maybe he could get something on to help him sleep. Blankly, he switched through the channels – BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A pair of dark brown eyes snapped wide open. The channel was blaring out – ARE THOSE TANKS? IN TIANANMEN SQUARE?!
An alarmed young man was standing in the midst of the stampeding crowd. Blood has splashed onto the normally clean and neat business suit – his blazer was missing, for whatever reasons – leaving drying rust-red stains over the white long-sleeved button-up shirt. He looked a bit like Austria, only with a Chinese Ahoge and Curl instead of Mariazell, and a slightly darker skin tone…bright gold eyes…
BANG!
A body crumpled to the ground, saturated gold eyes fluttered shut, black rectangular-framed glasses crookedly slid out of place…
"JING!"
"But there's still a dream, that won't die, remember
However th' storm is strong, freedom's flowers will still bloom
But there's still a dream, that won't die, remember
From your heart and from mine, remember"
-Freedom Flowers (Translated from Cantonese)
A/N: This is released on the 30th Anniversary of the June Fourth Incident (or as some would call it, Massacre), in honour of the lives lost for democracy in China. May they all rest in peace. *three-finger salute*
In case anyone is wondering, yes, (a friend and) I Personified Beijing and essentially all of the Chinese Provinces (like how many of you do so to the States). In fact, they have made a couple of canon appearances! More on that in the future.
Thank you for reading, my friend, and please do not allow this incident to fall to the ever-flowing river of history –from your heart and from mine, remember.
-AquaEclipse, raising a virtual candle for the vigil (which I can't attend in person)
DATE OF WRITING: 24, 25, 27 March 2019
DATE OF EDITING: 2-3, 14, 20, 23 April & 30-31 May 2019
DATE OF TYPING: 30 May 2019
WORD COUNT: 797
SOURCES:
Wikipedia
YouTube: 「六四」是怎樣一回事, 《自由花》MV-「六四」二十周年製作。