Bubble Tea here! This is a fic I wrote a few months ago at 4 AM, so historical inaccuricies are everywhere |D
Disclaimer: I do not own Taiwan, China, Hetalia, or any other material associated with Hetalia. All characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya.
Twenty thousand people.
Over twenty thousand people gunned down by the ROC Army on February 28, 1947.
And Taiwan could feel every gunshot wound as if it where her own.
"Just stop it already! Stop shooting th- Argh! S-stop it! Please..." Her cries feel on deaf ears as she laid, curled into a protective ball. She felt every single gunshot, every life lost as if it where her own. She died hundreds of times, over and over; and each time was no easier nor any less traumatic than the one before it. The nation wasn't physically hurt, but she could feel it under her skin. All this over some illegal cigarettes...
It was madness.
Taiwan wasn't sure she could ever forgive China for this...
This...
This massacre.
She endured another 24 hours or so of the shooting and chaos before the small nation could finally breathe again without feeling like her lungs where full of blood. The nation didn't move, didn't blink, didn't make a sound as she lay there. It wasn't over. She felt proud, patriotic, self-sufficient, self-reliable... and...
Disgusted.
Taiwan felt sick to her stomach and like she was being torn in half, sick about how her people could turn on each other like this, kill, brutalize, rape, and murder each other for no reason. She didn't understand how anyone could do that. She felt torn between feeling sympathy towards the innocent people who where just unfortunate enough to speak a certain language, and wanting to watch them burn where they stand.
The small nation was scared.
She was confused.
She didn't understand.
"Make it stop... Make the fighting stop, Gege... I didn't mean it, promise..." Taiwan almost hit herself for apologizing to that... That... That monstrosity. He let this happen. He let them shoot that poor woman, and now Taiwan had to suffer; as a person and as a nation. She hated him. Hated him to the very core, and would for many years to come.
~oOo~
It's April now, and things are much worse. The rebellion is over, and many lie dead while many others lie in a cold cell for no reason besides they wanted freedom.
Is this how a caged bird feels?
Taiwan sat in her room, blankly staring out her window at the streets. The bodies where gone, but it still smelled of death. Of decaying flesh, of released bowels in the last seconds of life, of all that was lost.
She hated looking out at the street.
China had tried to contact her, say that all this was necessary to keep the peace. Taiwan didn't listen. She didn't care what that monster said anymore. It didn't matter. Thousands of her people where dead, all over a few illegal cigarettes.
She was appalled.
Disgusted.
Disappointed.
The phone rang. She didn't answer. It was probably just Gege again.
"Gege..." She said the word as if it where a curse, sneered at those who are hated. And she did hate. She hated herself for still using that name, she hated the person behind the name, she hated who started the riot, she hated the people who raped, pillaged, and murdered her people and resources, she hated everything. Taiwan was a time bomb of hate just waiting to go off.
Tired of hearing the stupid contraption ring, Taiwan picked up the phone and slammed it back down on the cradle; stumbling over to her chair again.
"Go away monster." Taiwan's voice was rival that of a Siberian winter in iciness. Had she been in a lighter mood, she would of sworn she could see frost on the window in front of her.
"Mei-Mei, I'm coming over, aru." That's all she bothered to hear before hanging up. Was he now? Good. She needed someone to yell at. Taiwan didn't have to wait long before a knock sounded through out the house, leaving a hollow feeling in the air. The nation didn't stir from her seat, didn't say anything, didn't even breatheas the knocking continued.
"Mei-Mei! I know you're in there, aru! You're boss said you haven't left for weeks, aru! Let me in!" His voice was angry, but if you listened close enough... There was hint of concern in there. Taiwan chose to ignore it.
"Wang Mei-Mei! Open this door right now!" Or what? You'll kill my civilians? Oh, whoops, you already did that.
"Mei-Mei!"
"Alright! Alright! I'm coming! Calm down already!" Taiwan's voice was high and shrill, full of hatred and anger and malice and a mixture of emotions that no human language could even begin to describe. Stiffly—she hadn't moved from her chair in a good two days or so—Taiwan made her way to the door, opening it and promptly slapping China across the face.
"Come in, Gege." Her voice was sickly sweet, and it sent shivers down China's spine as he rubbed his cheek; stepping inside. The male nation eyed Taiwan for a moment, noticing how alarmingly thin she was, how dark the circles under her eyes where, how hollow and haunted her face seemed. He felt so guilty. Guilty about everything. But it didn't matter how guilty he felt, whats done is done. It can never be taken back. And for that, he was guiltiest pf all. Placing a gentle hand on the small girls cheek, he rubbed the circle under her eye with his thumb.
"Have you been getting enough sleep, aru?" Yao's voice was genuinely concerned, but Mei took it a facade and smacked his hand away with malice in her eyes.
"Do not touch me, you monster." Two could be genuine in this case. The small brunettes eyes where filled with hatred and even if you just glanced, you could tell she despised this man with every fiber of her being. This hurt Yao so deeply. He felt as if she was burning his heart to pieces with just those six words. Just those six words...
"Say what you came to say and get out. You aren't welcome here anymore." Mei's voice was utterly emotionless, save the undeniable ice in her tone, as she glared daggers at the taller Asian.
Why is he here? He doesn't care. The 228 Incident proved that.
The small brunette could feel tears rising to her eyes, but shoved them back down. She refused to look weak in front of Yao. She refused to show he had left a mark on her.
But he had.
"Mei, I... I'm just concerned about you-"
"I don't want to hear your lies! Get out!"
"The aren't lies-"
"Get out! Now!"
"But Mei-"
"LEAVE." With that one word, Mei was able to express all her hatred. All her malice. All her feelings. With that one word, she was able to bring Yao's world crashing down around him. But that had never stopped the persistent man before. Quickly, he pulled the small girl into his tight embrace; resting her head on the top of her head.
"Mei-Mei... I am so sorry, aru. Sorry about everything I've ever done to you, aru. I regret it all and wish I could make all this hurt and anger and malice and bad feelings just go away. But I can't. All I can do is get on my knees and beg you to forgive me." Yao gently let go of the smaller Asian and bent down to his knees as he said this, hands at his side and staring up pleadingly into Mei's crystal clear honey orbs.
"Get out." Mei's voice never wavered, never showed any sign she cared about his apology. Because she didn't. He may have been following orders, but it's hard to forgive a loss of over twenty thousand innocent people.
"Are you deaf? I said get out." Yao's face fell to a thousand pieces as he stood up, straightening his military uniform and hardening his face. If Mei wouldn't accept his apology now, he would just come back every day and do the same thing until she did. He would never stop until the words "I forgive you." left her lips. Even if it took an eternity.
~oOo~
It's now February 28, 2010, and it's been exactly 63 years since the 228 Incident. Yao had held true to his word and returned every single day in all those 63 years he's come back to Mei's house, got on his knees and apologized; begging for her forgiveness. And every time, she would tell him to get out with the same malice as the first time. It was a bit of a welcomed habit now a days.
Except...
Today...
Mei was ready to forgive him.
It had taken many long, sleepless nights to come to term with what had happened, and Mei finally accepted that Yao was completely not at fault here. His government had forced him and there was nothing the older nation could of done. So now, she waited in her chair, staring out the window like she had 63 years ago. Except now, she loved this street. It was so full of people and laughter and life. A smile crept over her lips as children played and parents watched from the sideline. It was a pleasant scene.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mei-Mei, it's Yao. Let me in." That oh so familiar voice... The small brunette couldn't help but feel a twinge of hatred at those words. She had for over 60 years. Suddenly unsure of herself, the girl continued to sit in her chair, staring out the window.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mei-Mei, I know you're in there! Your boss said you've been in there for days!" Yao stopped. Those words felt so familiar... But he just couldn't place it. Shaking his head, he repeated his demands to be let in.
"Mei-Mei!"
"Alright! I hear you, I'm coming! Just calm down!" Mei's voice was just as hate filled as it always was as she rushed to the door, heart pounding wildly. The brunette opened the door, and all her malice came rushing back as she stared into her brother—No, the monster's face. Before she could stop herself, Mei brought her hand up and slapped it across the others cheek.
Wait...
Something about this felt familiar...
But neither could place it.
"Come in, Gege." The small brunettes voice was sickly sweet, and Yao shivered; resisting the urge to rub his cheek as he walked in. He looked Mei up and down and was fairly pleased to see she was eating well and sleeping enough... But that haunted look never seemed to go away. Guilt stabbed at Yao's heart as he stared into her eyes, the ghosts of both their pasts mocking him. He hated it and looked away.
"Yao, if you won't even look at me, then get out. I don't want to hear your apology. You know I'm just going to tell you to get out. We've been doing this for 63 years. Give up already." Mei was surprised at herself. Since when did her voice hold such command? Such force? It scared her a little. Yao, unconcerned by her words, just looked back into her eyes and felt that horrible guilt stab at him again as he pulled her into a tight embrace; burying his face in her soft hair.
"I've lost count how many times I've said this, but just know I mean it every time," Mei stared over his shoulder at the wall, unimpressed, "But I am so sorry, and I will be for the rest of eternity. I don't care how long it takes, but I will earn you're forgiveness. I promise you that." The man let go of the smaller girl and—probably for the thousandth time—got onto his knees, hands at his sides and staring up pleadingly at the girl.
Mei was ready to accept his apology this time, ready to say "I forgive you, Gege." By gods, she was ready...
"Get out."