China laughed happily, dragging the panda along the streets of Beijing. The four thousand year old man felt young and happy again as he giddily explained to the massive panda following him of the Chinese New Year. The festival was always so exciting. Beautiful paper lanterns, loud popping and crackling firecrackers in the street, the scent of food and moon cakes lingering in the evening air, and also the parades. The New Year celebration always brought on hope and excitement in his people, the old nation feeling it course through his veins. Maybe this is why he felt so young and alive.

He smiled to himself, turning to the panda to explain something but stopped. Looking past his furry friend, he spotted children running and playing, their mother calling out to them to be safe. He bit his bottom lip, sad expression on his face. Tears burned, threatening to spill over. He missed his siblings dearly, wishing that they could all go back to those days where China played big brother and none of them had abandoned him. He closed his eyes, face contorting into one of great emotional pain, letting out a choked out whimper. Clamping his hand over his mouth, he turned, eyes squeezing shut, his voice strained, "I-I think we should go home now aru... it's getting late..."

The panda, as if sensing his emotional distress, started to pull the old nation along the streets. Though, taking a peak, China knew this wasn't the way home, "W-Wait Mr. Panda... W-Where are you taking me aru?" The panda put a paw up to its mouth as if to say "it's a secret". Nodding, China kept silent; sniffling slightly as he tried to restrain himself from letting the tears spill as memories flashed into his head. 'Even Russia did not come to visit me like he promised aru...' The old

man thought, sighing and biting on his bottom lip.

As the panda pulled him through a bamboo patch, China became even more confused, clinging to the other's paw in the darkness that swallowed him, shutting

himself off from the outside world as all it held was pain and despair.

He felt them stop, blinking and looking up, eyes wide and mouth open in astonishment, tears welling back into his eyes. His caramel colored eyes stared out across the beautifully still as glass waters, the stars and moon shimmering beautifully in the dark water's surface. He smiled at the beauty, the wind lightly blowing plum blossom tree petals across the water, the light ripples trickling barely over the still darkness. He turned to the panda, gulping and trying to stop his tears, becoming unsuccessful as he felt them spill down his cheek. As he let out a choked cry, he threw his arms around the panda as he buried his face into

the fur.

"Why did they all leave me alone aru?! I raised them, I took care of them and all they did for me was turn their backs on me aru! And Japan! I can't believe he could ever do something like that aru! Was I not a good brother?! Did I not raise them well aru?! WHY ARU, WHY?!?" He screamed as he slid to the ground, the panda following him. He clung to the panda, crying his eyes out until he couldn't cry any longer.

Hours later, China could be found resting his head on the panda's lap, hand resting on its thigh and his knees brought up to his chest. Lashes gently caressed his porcelain cheeks, red from crying. Seeing the other sleeping peacefully, knowing he wouldn't wake up, the panda stopped stroking the immortal man's head to pull off the panda head.

Letting out a relieved sigh to be freed even slightly, Russia turned amethyst eyes down to his comrade and smiled slightly, returning to petting the small man's head in his lap. Eyes were shut soon after, smile still in place as he leaned down and placed a kiss to China's head gently and decided then and there.

Even though it was hot in that panda suit, it was well worth it.