あいやぁ 四千年:
Aiyaa, Yonsennen
tenchi no hajimari takusan no bujin ga
inochi wo kasanete rekishi tsumui da aru
choukou no hotori ichiwa kago no hato
banri no shiro ni wa hi wa mata "noboru" aru!
China... One of the world's earliest nations, even older than Greece's mom, or Italy's Grandpa Rome. A country that witnessed thousands of battles in the soil of his lands, a four thousand-year-old nation being swept from this emperor to the next.
China had to admit that being himself was never easy. He had to watch over his vast lands, a difficulty that arose whenever a Westerner stepped in his affairs.
For a nation that was blessed by heaven itself, being the Middle Kingdom was never easy.
China walked along the Great Wall, watching the great sun peeking over the distant mountains. A beautiful view that he never got tired of watching.
The Yangtze rippled like a great snake, east from his orientation. He decided to travel there to walk on the banks, a thing he hadn't done in peace for so long already.
His amber eyes darted along the length of the river, wondering what happened to him as a nation during the past four millenniums.
A single dove flew across the river and into the rising sun, feathers glinting strangely in the light.
China smiled at this good omen and continued his walk.
wagamama dekita mukashi, natsukashii aru yo…
Ni hao ma? Achikochi karada itai aru
atarashii okashi demo tsukuru aru
China trembled with a secret joy as he finished making some chocolate-based sweets that he was going to serve to Japan, who was visiting, later in the afternoon. Making different types of confectionery and food was his only stress relief. His kitchen methods had never changed much over the years. He still preferred to traditionally cook his rice over the stove, but a rice cooker made all the work less hassling. After all, the modern world required quickness and hurrying. Quite unlike the old times.
He tried to taste some, the hot chocolate burning his tongue. He gasped with shock, taking the spoon away and touching the damage. Luckily, it wasn't very severe, but it stung.
China flung his apron and mitts off, leaving the confections cooling off on the table, and went off to his garden to breathe in the fresh morning air.
He stared at the azure sky, the simple gesture triggering a stream of memories that he made under the same sky.
Nostalgic.
mezametara ha ga tatanai aru yo!
shishi no you ni isamashiku
muga no kyouchi kurenai ni somaru aru yo!
Watashi itsudemo tayoru yoroshi
Ai yaa yaa…
China opened his eyes. Crossing his arms over his somber yellow changshan, he reflected upon the sinuous form of the flames that danced before him on the candle wick.
In his mind, it took the form of the lion, brave and cunning, assertive and territorial. He blinked suddenly, and the image disappeared.
He blew out the candle, and watched as the smoke wreathed upwards in thin spirals, like a snake.
He needed to be as brave as the fiery lion, and as cunning as the smoky snake. For his people. For his lands.
Ano hi chikurin de mitsuketa kodomo wa
Takumashiku tsuyoku sodatte kureta aru!
China hummed slightly under his breath as he served Japan some oolong tea with the confections he had made earlier. The red liquid sent gentle steam tendrils into the air as it was poured into Japan's gray tea cup. "Is that enough, aru?" he asked the older nation as he tipped the pot into the cup.
"Yes, thank you," Japan murmured politely, bowing his head. He lowered the cup on the table and let it cool as China poured some in his own cup. As China sat back down, he nodded at Japan pleasantly.
"I'm glad you haven't forgotten your manners, aru," he remarked.
"I spent almost all of my childhood here, Chuugoku-san. And you are a harsh master when it comes to tea." Japan fastened pale fingers around his cup and felt its temperature before taking a sip. "I never forget."
"So do I, aru. I still remember you the first time we met. Such a small nation, aru. But look at you now, aru... You rose to greatness in only mere decades. Even I cannot do that, aru." China looked at his former charge, smiling as he let his eyes skim over the short black hair, the deep brown eyes.
"You bring yourself down too much, Chuugoku-san," Japan answered meekly, clutching at his warm cup for comfort. "I may have risen to progression in just a few decades, but Chuugoku-san, the real feat is on maintaining that level of progress. And you have lost none of your magnificence these last four thousand years."
"You flatter too much, Ri Ben. Is that what modernization taught you?"
"No, I'm just being honest with myself. I discovered that how much a student may learn, he cannot surpass the wisdom of his master. One of the inevitabilities of life, I must say." Japan rotated his cup slowly in his hands. "Chuugoku-san, I -" The words stuck in his throat.
Issho ni nagameta tsuki oboeteru aru ka?
Wan shang hao! usagi wa kusuri mazeru aru
Kono sora wa dokomademo tsudzuku aru
"I know, xiándì, aru." China drank his cup silently as he gazed with grave brown eyes at his, literally, esteemed younger "brother."
Japan's eyes were carefully kept upon his knees as he put his cup on the table. "I'm sorry for the bad memories, Chuugoku-san."
China laughed a short and serious laugh, appraising the younger nation's apologetic form. "You can never be too polite, Ri Ben." He smiled tiredly. "Don't worry, aru. I have already forgiven you. I know that war is inevitable and draws out the worst in anyone, even in whole nations, aru. You are a victim also."
"I may be, but it's not enough for my heinous crimes. I acted shamefully to you and to the others. I should never have undergone modernization if it'll only cause others pain." In so much embarrassment, he moved from the table, knelt on the floor, and bowed his upper body to the floor. "Please, Chuugoku-san..."
China gently raised the latter's humbled position. "Aiyaa, you're still so stubborn, aru." He stared at the other's downcast face, taking in the serious features that he had learned to read so long ago. "Nihon, don't you remember when we were gazing at the rabbit on the moon that night, aru ka? When you told me that you want to become stronger?" He smiled encouragingly at Japan. "You told me that you want to be prepared for the Occidental powers' arrival in Asia, aru. That, in order to become stronger, you must undergo modernization. In order to defend Asia, aru yo. Isn't that right?"
Japan nodded slightly, eyebrows drawing closer, eyes still on the ground.
"It was a great idea, no, a grand one, aru. You just made a mistake in choosing the method to accomplish that. Everyone makes mistakes, xiándì, aru. You cannot demand perfection from everything." He helped Japan stand, the latter swaying upon his feet and trying to regain his composure slowly.
"Are you sure you aren't angry anymore?" Japan whispered.
"I'll never get angry at you for long, aru. After all, you are my xiándì!" He tried to smile reassuringly. "Japan, can you stay with me tonight? Please don't refuse, aru. I want to at least feel your presence in my house once more, aru.
"I would love to, thank you," Japan murmured into China's shoulder as the latter pulled him into a warm, brotherly embrace. Then, as an afterthought, he added softly, "...onii-sama."
koudai na chi wo kakenukeru kaze
ryuu no you ni hokorashiku
Hirugaeshita kurenai ni ukabu hoshi ga
Watashi tachi wo terasu aru yo
Ai yaa yaa…
China sat cross-legged under a maple tree, letting the cool wind wash over his face. Untying his hair, he let the breeze play with the dark strands, feeling unburdened from the conversation he had with Japan.
The wind felt great on his skin as he made himself one with the element, envisioning the wind as a long, graceful dragon, twisting around solid objects, versatile, ever-present.
He sat like that until the stars were faintly etched upon the darkening sky. He picked out the brightest and whispered softly, "You and I are so similar, aru. We may disappear from the sky at day, but at night we manage to fight and be the brightest."
hateshinaki yo no urei no naka de
naze ni hito wa arasou aru?
Donna kizu mo itsuka ieru hi ga kuru aru
subete watashi ni tayoru yoroshi
Ai yaa yaa…
Japan entered China's room later in the evening as China stood out of his room into the verandah, looking at the stars. Japan was wearing a loosely fitting yukata that was colored a dull olive green. He stood next to China, his eyes fixing at the stars themselves.
"The stars are beautifully seen from your house, Chuugoku-san," he complimented the older nation.
"Maybe that's why my people are great astrologists," China remarked with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"I presume," Japan quietly replied.
China then said, "Ri Ben, why do people have to fight, aru ka?"
Japan looked at the other with searching eyes. "I suppose it is a part of us. We can never decide on everything, and that's why people fight all the time. I guess."
China bowed his head slightly, saying in a melancholic voice, "I guess nothing but time will heal the wounds of history, aru. Regardless of the injury, the day it will heal will come, aru."
"I disagree a little, but definitely, all wounds heal." Japan looked at China with such great sadness in his usually expressionless eyes that it alarmed the other nation. "Even if it is a little painful at the beginning."
"Oh, are you worrying about that one on my back, aru?" China asked restlessly as Japan stared at his face. "Don't worry, aru. I barely notice it anymore, aru. So don't apologize again or something."
"Chuugoku-san, we started out greatly at the beginning, but why does it have to come to this that we're so awkward with each other?" Japan scowled a little. "What's wrong? Where did we go bad? Now we're so different. Different nations, different words, different characters..."
China stopped him with a finger held up gently. "Ri Ben, is it not better to just forget our differences and ponder on our similarities instead?"
"Similarities -?"
"Like, we both like to eat rice, aru. And... we both use kanji, although you use it a little differently, but that's all right, aru. And… we love having festivals. Also, we both believe on... yeah, we believe on the rabbit on the moon, aru! That's right..."
They glanced at the full moon simultaneously, pensive eyes searching for the elusive rabbit.
"It's pounding medicine, look, aru," China murmured, pointing.
"I still think it's mochi, not medicine," Japan muttered, but quietly so that China won't hear.
"What, Ri Ben?"
"N-nothing, Chuugoku-san."
"Aren't you going to sleep already?"
"Ahh, hai. Oyasumi nasai, Chuugoku-san."
"Yeah, you too."
When China heard the door close, he said softly to himself,
"Tatoe kuni ga chigattemo
Kotoba ga chigattemo
Ji ga chigattemo
Onaji tsuki wo… zutto, nagametai aru yo..."