Japan has done many bad things, and for almost all of them Taiwan was there to witness it. He doesn't understand that why, despite everything, she still loved him.

This is Taiwan's response.

When I opened my eyes for the first time,

Time was frozen.

The breeze brushed my hair, my cheeks.

And I smiled at the sunlight.

It was a time of innocence,

A time that you experienced far longer than I ever did.

Of being alone, secluded.

In a forest full of music,

An ocean full of joy.

When I opened my eyes for the second time,

I wasn't alone.

Blonde hair, amber eyes, a smoking pipe.

He was my first memory.

He told me stories of faraway lands,

Of a man that later became my teacher.

This man had wealth and gold and beautiful red silks.

Under his wings there were more of us.

And that was how I heard of you.

When I opened my eyes for the third time,

Time had frozen again.

You met my eyes and diverted your gaze;

I was caught by your beauty.

Living under his wing with you,

We watched together as our teacher fell.

More of those with blonde hair came,

But this time there were no smoking pipes.

There were guns.

When I opened my eyes for the fourth time.

You were gone.

How frantically had I searched for you.

But you weren't there.

I returned to my land of trees and oceans,

Colors of nature replaced by colors of wheat,

My people were sweating under the sun,

In fields of gold during the fall.

In a distance a train whistled.

When I opened my eyes for the fifth time.

Time stopped moving.

The ground was covered in red,

And you were covered in black.

The teacher laid on the ground,

His back slashed as a symbol of war.

Our brother glared at you in hatred.

But in your eyes there was nothing.

Nothing but dark, dark red.

When I opened my eyes for the sixth time,

I was alone.

In my own land,

And my people revolted.

The plum blossoms had just wilted,

The spring had came too early.

I touched a hand to my brow and stood with them,

For I was a country.

But deep inside I could only see your blood red eyes.

When I opened my eyes for the seventh time,

I saw a fire of inferno.

Burning ambition to conquer;

Something that was completely inhumane.

Scenes indescribable,

Love unstoppable,

I stood by your side as you did your deeds...

...But I knew you didn't have a choice,

For you were also a country.

When I opened my eyes for the eighth time,

You were finally sane.

In a gown of white and a sight of the night,

You told me you loved me.

In a ring of gold,

Your hands came to cup my face.

And I didn't pull away.

"You may say you love me," I said,

"But you'll never love me more than you love your own country."

With that, you drew away.

You stood up and left me,

Your sword in your hand,

When was I that should be in your arms.

In a whiff of smoke you turned dark again,

A soul-less body hidden behind a purple cape,

A display of the ambitions of a nation.

With that, came the separation of nation and man,

That our human emotions should never be mixed

With that of a country's duty.

Nations were not allowed to love,

It was line that never should be crossed,

A line that I trampled for you a million times in defiance.

You were a country,

And you played your role well.

You followed orders,

And that was why you allowed your dark side to take over.

When I lost count of how many times I opened my eyes,

You were gone,

Completely and utterly destructed during the war.

I wanted so desperately to replace you.

A nation that had loved another nation,

It was me that was supposed to face the world's wrath.

Lying in a hospital bed,

Unconscious for years.

You didn't deserve the pain.

When it wasn't even you that had done all those things

My punishment came finally,

When my symbol disappeared from the the map.

And I no longer represented who I was.

A downgrade.

A humiliation.

And you still laid in that hospital bed.

Years later I saw you again,

A shy smile and pink in your cheeks.

You were equals with the ones with blonde hair,

Those with eyes that shone like colorful gemstones.

Your eyes were like pearls and were just as precious.

But I wasn't.

Out of the meeting hall I ran,

Out, out, out into the forest,

Where the sunlight poured like rain.

Out of the meeting hall you ran,

And our eyes briefly locked.

Your hands came to cup my face,

And I didn't pull away.

But this time I said nothing.

"Nations are not allowed to love,"

That was what you said,

"But it is you that I love.

And I will not stop.

For you are a strong plum blossom,

Alive even in the midst of winter."

Heartbeats synchronized,

And then I realized,

That your love for me was never for a nation,

But for me as a person.

Tears overflowed,

And drip, drip, drip they came.

As a nation I was unworthy.

But as a human….

All along I had loved you as a human.

As a human who smiled and laugh.

As a human who watched fireworks in the summer heat.

As a human who always gave their best to everything.

As a human who was forced to follow orders.

As a nation, what you have done is unspeakable.

But that isn't your fault.

As a nation, my status will never compare to you.

And that isn't my fault.

But as a human, I forgive you.

And as a human, I love you.

Kiku,

I love you for who you are.

The past may be your shackles,

But your soul can be your liberation.

Mei.

END.

A/N - Reviews are encouraged.

~Ume-chan

Edit - I literally did not realize how bad the formatting looked until now...so here's the updated version, hopefully it looked better than the last.