Chapter 2: Sea Of Tears (JapanxChina)

Blind and half crazed from pain, Japan stumbled through the streets of a devastated rural town in his house. His hospital clothes slowly became soaked as he waded in the half submerged village barefooted. 'Why me?' He repeated the bitter phrase like an incantation as he walked further into the destruction, encountering more and more whimsical objects along the way. "How curious!" He remarked to himself as a cage filled with stuffed animals floated past him. Exhausted, he climbed on what once could have been part of a roof, and floated alongside the debris, deeper into the world of chaotic gray. He did not realize, however, that he was beginning to forget some things. Things that might have been considered important if he had known they were being forgotten.

As he followed the murky current, he found himself approaching the gates of a Shinto shrine. "Ah," he exclaimed in despair, "this flood has no end at all! Perhaps I will sail straight to the middle of the ocean!"

"Oh, I'm hoping that's not the case!" A voice rang from ahead of him, a melodious tinkle of crystals. A man, with his long hair tied back with a chord, sat upon the gate of the shrine, grinning down at the Japanese. "Surely I would be lonely if you were to float away forever, Kiku!" The mysterious man jumped down, landing softly on Japan's makeshift barge. "Besides," His laughter rang like little glass bells, fragile but clear. "Wouldn't you miss me, you heartless child?"

'How rude.' Japan thought to himself. Who gave this man the right to suddenly intrude upon his journey and call him a senseless child? He sat down and ignored the cheerful Asian in front of him. 'Really,' the quiet Japanese pondered, 'I must be going someplace…Oh dear, I can't quite remember…' He was still deep in thought when China knelt in front of him, his face furrowed in concern as he stared into Japan's face. "Kiku? Wouldn't you miss me?" Uncertainty crept into Yao's voice. "Kiku?"

"Please don't' call me that!" Japan snapped at the other man. "I don't' know why you're bothering me, nor do I know who this 'Kiku' is, but I don't have time to deal with your antics! You see, I am on quite an urgent errand!" He whimpered as he said this. Japan had given himself a massive headache trying to remember where he had to be, something about a blond man and his people. His people? He wondered. What…? He was cold, oh so dreadfully cold, though he could not quite understand why.

China gasped in disbelieving astonishment. "Nihon! Do you not know me?" Taking the Japanese's protesting face in his hands, he stared intently into his clouded brown eyes, but they held no answers to reveal to him. He let go in horror, which left the Japanese glaring at him in irritation. "I…don't' understand. Why…" He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as he choked back the tears welling up in his eyes. He kissed Japan abruptly, hiding his sorrow. "But I love you still." He murmured sweetly. 'Mine.' He wailed in his mind as he caressed Kiku's face. 'No matter what, you are still mine to save.'

'No.' Japan thought. Something stirred in the back of his memories. He could not bring himself to push away the man who was hugging him. Who was he? He searched his memories, but he could only find a sliver of a smile here, and a hint of a day shared together there. He wanted to know. He wanted to know. He wanted to know what his memories had lost. But oh, if only his head didn't hurt so!

"Is there anything you remember?" The other man asked, peering curiously into Kiku's face. "Nothing? Not even my name? Not even who I am?" By then, tears had filled China's eyes, thought he bravely put on a cheerful smile. He reached up once again to slide his hand down Japan's cheek. He grinned, bracing himself for disappointment.

"I am Wang Yao."

Kiku fell to his knees as white pain flashed in front of his eyes.

He was burning. China supported Japan helplessly as the younger man dry heaved on the plastic of the barge, unable to figure out what was happening. Buried memories were attempted to be excavated, and fragments of lost days spent together were spilling into the Japanese's mind, clamoring for his attention and jumbled beyond recognition. Gasping repeatedly for air, the small man trembled, suddenly overwhelmed by the ever growing cold. "Ungh." He groaned, biting his lips. He tasted sweet blood in his mouth, and noticed a sudden growing pang of hunger. But hunger for what? Nihon panicked. He couldn't understand. HE was scared.

Clutching onto China's shirt, he buried his head in the other man's chest and wailed in his rising fear. "Yao," He sobbed. Was that his name? "Yao, Yao, What's happening to me?" The older nation embraced him, hesitantly but gently. Warmth from his body washed over the trembling Japanese. Kiku could feel the Chinese's pulse, beating like drums upon his ears. He reached towards Yao's neck. He was starving…

Japan stopped. In fact, he couldn't move his arm. It was as if something inside him knew what was going on. Instead, he kissed Yao's cheek bashfully. Somehow, he knew he was saying goodbye. He had to go on.

A dragon came, hovering next to the raft in all its impressive beauty. "That's my boss calling me." China said, sighing. "Come on, Kiku. We'll sort this out at home." HE stepped on the back of the creature. Japan, however, remained standing on the raft, looking sadly at Yao, who called out frantically to him as the dragon began to move. "What are you waiting for? Come on!" The Chinaman extended his hand towards him.

Nihon shook his head mournfully. "I can't go. I've got somewhere to get to." He smiled with lips tinged with blue. "I have to go save myself." The dragon accelerated, its sapphire scales glittering in the light reflected by the floodwater. "Yao," He called out. "Who was I to you?"

Tears streaked China's face. He saw the small man as the child he once cared for. Even then, Japan had always been that way: bittersweet. "My everything." The words spoken were that of an old soul, weathered, but true.

As the distance between them grew greater, Japan waved farewell to the old nation he had once revered and loved. Yao opened his mouth to say something. But instead, he sand. IT was a lullaby he once sang to Kiku when they were children. HE knew he did not dare stop. China continued the melody, singing of mourning, lost youth, and parted lovers.

When Kiku looked back, he could no longer see Yao. Even so, China's sad but hopeful song continued to ring clear and true in his ears.

[[SO SO sorry about the late updates. I'm currently preparing artworks and merchandise to sell in the artist alley of Animenext…stop by at the RHS booth there! Finals are coming too…I confess, I had a headache and was drawing zombies on the side when I wrote this. But anyway, here it is. ChinaxJapan (or JapanxChina for those who insist), requested by Hikari Kame, Wolfiestar, and Misya Evangeline. I always thought of that pairing was meant to be a one sided tragedy. Next up is either Italia or England for Misya. Still open to requests. Comments so far?]]