**Hello there! Sketchy Tepe here with another fanfic for you! I've realized that I am in the minority when it comes to shipping Japan and Taiwan and that there isn't a lot of fanfiction to these two cuties so I decided to come up with one. Fair warning: I have studied all that my slowly developing brain can handle when it comes to Japan and Taiwan history and I still don't get it. I know they currently have a somewhat awkward but good relationship with each other but, for reals, this is fanfiction. I'm not going for awkward. I WANT PASSION.

So the war that takes place in this story kinda came up from my own brain that's based on some true facts. I promise nothing will get confusing and I won't be using a bunch of unwanted military terms or whatever. I'll keep it as simple as possible (as simple as war can get).

Anyways, I hope you enjoy and feel free to correct my poor knowledge on Asian history. (I'm actually planning on taking a Japanese class next semester so I can speak it and understand their very unique and inspiring culture but I'm so excited about this fic that I can't wait a whole summer to write it! So maybe it'll get better and I'll make more sense of it as I go along.) Happy reading!**

She felt the warm morning air wrap around her wavy hair and thin cotton dress. She smelled the various berries hanging from the surrounding trees and all the wet leaves from last night's rain. Her bare feet carefully stepped across the fallen acorns, blue berries, and lush green leaves while her pale hand gently brushed against the rough bark of each sky-high tree. She could practically taste the heavy fog that hung in the air like a weighty burden upon your shoulders—it was dense with moisture and it began to settle on her body, damping her skin and forcing her thick hair to frizz uncontrollably.

Despite how eerie the scene appeared, with nothing but mist and silence surrounding her, the girl strolled on, eyes searching around her, looking for the reason why she came here in the first place.

Sounds of chirping birds flying overhead finally interrupted the muteness which made the girl smile slightly. The singing of the woodland creatures in the early morning was her favorite lullaby so she couldn't help but to hum along to their cheerful tune.

She turned her head to the right and peered into the fog. Her big, penny brown eyes caught the faint outline of a skinny tree hovering over an equally narrow river. Her smile widened and her legs pranced over to her destination.

The cold, wet grass tickled the bottom of her feet, causing her to squeal and giggle to herself, hurrying across the field. When she reached the tree, she happily wrapped her arms around the thin trunk and glanced up towards the branches, which stretched over the clear water and to the forest on the other side like some sort of sign, like a crooked hand showing her the way.

She studied the blooming flowers that lightly coated the tree's branches. They fashioned a lovely soft pink color and their wide petals opened towards the ash-colored sky. She stood on her tiptoes to reach the blossom closest to her, plucking it from its stem and inhaling its sweet scent before sticking it in her hair (her hair was so thick and heavy that it reminded her of a fishing net: anything could get caught and stay caught).

Just then, the girl's head snapped up at the sound of something exploding in the distance. It came from the forest ahead, from where the cherry blossom tree was pointing at. She froze, watching, waiting. Two minutes later, another explosion.

Her heart sped up and her eyes grew wide. Those booming echoes weren't the first time she heard them, however, but she was slowly getting accustomed to the smell of gunfire and the battle cries of dying men. These violent senses came out of nowhere and it didn't seem like they were going away anytime soon.

The girl took a deep breath; it came out small and in a tremble, but it helped her calm down a bit. Her fingers absentmindedly stroked the soft petals in her hair as her eyes drifted to the lapping river below. She focused on the calming blue color of the water, trying to zone out the sounds of war.

She hugged the cherry blossom tree again, and she only let go when she heard the explosions getting closer.