Author's Note: The Visual Novel for this story has been released! Please search Moonshadow0989 (my account name) on deviantART dot com and go to my gallery to find the sub folder for "China and I".
Two episodes have been released thus far. Thank you again for your continued support!
China and I
Chapter VII - Open Wound
"Ah, America. Took you long enough to get here." Britain straightened up from leaning against the wall and faced the two countries whom had just entered.
"Sorry, dude. I accidentally went to the wrong room. Do you know the architect that designed our meeting spots? They're too darn big, yo! We need to reconstruct…
China ignored the western powers altogether and stared past him to see Japan tied up and sitting on the floor. His katana sword was lying next to him, still sheathed. It seemed that Britain had taken the liberty to remove it from its original position where it was strapped to Japan's back. He didn't even look up.
Why? Was he too scared? Or was he just pushing the boundaries of their initial relationship by continuing to be disrespectful to his former brother?
Doesn't matter to me either way
Those were the words circling around China's mind as he continued to survey the country he had raised and had betrayed him with a single slash of a blade.
The silent Asian power didn't even seem to care that he was in the room.
"So yeah, what are we going to force out of him, man? I think China should steer the wagon here." America closed the door behind him with a clang, giving off a sense of this being a prison. "Should we ask about the recent attacks? Those were pretty bad…"
"I hate to say this but I'm not sure… Japan's forces have been concentrated on China's borders recently, which is precisely why I requested him to be brought here and…"
"Hey, guys…why are you not saying anything?" America cut Britain off and noticed China was shaking slightly with balled fists in front of Japan, who was still refusing to look at him.
"…China? You're not acting yourself, are you feeling nauseous?" Britain picked up on this as well and was just about to take a step towards him when he finally addressed Japan directly.
"…How many civilian dead today? You break record yet?" He hissed.
"…! H-huh…?" America unconsciously shrank closer to Britain, now feeling an unexplainable chill in the atmosphere.
Japan remained silent, his eyes glued to the floor.
"What's this? Your 'sense the mood and refrain from speaking' technique…?"
"Okay. That…is it…!"
Before anyone could stop him, China had grabbed Japan by his war uniform. America ran forward in shock and placed his hands forcefully on China's shoulders in a failed attempt to suppress him. "China, calm down, man!"
Britain stood behind and watched with wide eyes, unable to move for some reason. Why did this scene…seem so familiar to him?
Japan had a look of pain on his face as the collar of his war uniform tugged close to the skin of his throat, but his teeth were gritted, refusing to cry out or protest.
"You think this is all just bloody game, aru…? I heard from my soldiers that you had some of your men go around Chinese village area and made a COMPETITION out of shooting and knifing! 你觉得杀人那么好玩吗？！还叫什么"谁杀得最多"？！" (You think killing people is that fun?! And even calling it "who kills the most people"?!" China was now in a fit of rage as his hold on Japan's collar tightened more and more.
He suddenly noticed that Japan was too quiet and feared he had strangled him a bit too forcefully, so he let loose his grip for a second with a loud sigh.
Unfortunately, Japan saw this as a moment of weakness.
"…Nani?(What?) Youru scarru hurting again?" He finally responded very quietly.
"…!" China let go of him at once, almost recoiling at his choice of words.
Japan fell to the floor with a dull thud, where he stayed there, finally looking China in the eye with not much expression at all. Almost as if he were bored.
"…You shut up." China whispered hauntingly, a hand going to his own back without thinking.
"What's this about a scar?" America queried with wondering eyes.
"America, there's a time and a place." Britain sighed in exasperation, though he himself was getting more nervous by the second. He had yet to see China so riled up like that.
China finally managed to calm down slightly and straightened up to face Japan less threateningly. The initial purpose of this session swam briefly before his mind. "…What you been up to lately, aru?"
"Why do you careru?"
"… I don't. I told to ask you that."
"…Think you arready know…Youru imouto-chan (little sister) does not rook very good after we circrued area with-"
The next split second cued the sudden end to the short meeting.
China had lunged forward, completely losing himself to anger at the mentioning of the broken city's name that he held so dear to his heart.
But Japan was ready for him, having somehow shrugged off the poorly tied knot to his bounds by America during the earlier struggle with China and drawn the katana sword with lightning speed.
The blade had been thrust in just the right angle, and had made a clean cut through China's outstretched right hand.
And crimson drops touched the cold floor.
China shivered fitfully as Japan pulled the blade out, his eyes piercing and causing more blood to splatter to the concrete floor as China gasped out in pain.
"Bullocks! What the hell, Japan?!" Britain rushed forward at once and supported China, pulling him away from Japan.
America was a step ahead and had knocked the katana sword out of the attacker's hands straight after the blade had left China's flesh.
"Dude. That was horrible…how could you do that…to your own brother?!"
"…He's not my brotheru." Japan said very clearly, looking away from America's stricken gaze.
Just like on that day.
"No, clearly I'm not, aru." China agreed and tugged his hand away from Britain who was attempting to bandage it with a torn piece of his own clothing.
"…! H-Hey, China…! That wound went right through, you have to get medical attention!" Britain called out, feeling very sick himself at the smell and sight of blood in the room. His heart was pounding heavily. It was nearly at the same pace as that moment when America had blocked his gun with the flat surface of his own. A dark memory.
China stopped in his tracks, his back facing the three remaining countries huddled in the questioning room.
"You still need me for anything, aru?" He said, in a strangely calm tone despite the blood still running in rivulets down his ruined hand.
"N-no…Y-you can take as much time off as you like, China… Get that hand of yours back and working." America said stiffly, his usual cheerful demeanour completely gone.
"…We're in world war, aru. No time for breaks. I'll be back tomorrow after night's rest." He replied coldly and forced the door open with his left and non-injured hand.
"Right…I-I'll take over for the questioning then… Tie him down properly this time, America, and secure him to a chair." Britain said, now glaring with much hatred at Japan, who still seemed not to care at all of what happened other than his pristine sword getting soiled with blood.
"Good luck, aru. He not going to go soft just because I not here." And with that, China left the questioning room, a bloody hand mark present on the door surface as he accidentally wiped against it on his way out.
He walked a few steps before falling to the ground, tears he had held back now running at a fast pace down his cheeks. His heart hurt terribly. And he could no longer think straight. His horribly confused and mixed feelings towards Japan made the pain so much worse.
"…Ge ge…?"
"…!" China almost cricked his neck as he looked up from the floor at me, who was standing a few feet away. "…J-Jia…? What you doing here?" He used his long sleeve to wipe away his tears hastily and faced me with a forced and fragile smile. "I thought I told you to wait at home, aru."
I walked towards him, skin still covered in burns and cuts from the bombing. A large bandage was secured around my head, some parts of it a dull brownish red from dried blood.
"…I got worried that you weren't back yet, Ge Ge. And it's not 'Jia'. Don't call me that…He might find me again if you do." I said, reaching him and leaning into his chest to hug him.
"…He won't find you, aru. He locked up inside that room." China pointed wearily to where he just came from.
"…! He stabbed your hand?!" I realised then the wound that he was trying so desperately to hide from me.
"Not important, aru. Come on, lets go home."
"B-But, you're bleeding!" I clung onto his arm as he stood up.
"你干吗那么安静？！日本怎么可以对你这样？难道你不生气吗？"(Why are you so silent?! How can Japan do this to you? Aren't you angry at him?!)" I started speaking mandarin without meaning to, I was too hurt to see the state that my big brother was in to notice the slip in dialect.
"生气有什么用？"(What's the point in getting angry?)
"…" I stopped restraining him and was forced into a slow walk with China out the building. "Ge Ge…"
"日本就是日本。他现在变成了鬼子。我也没什么办法。他再也不会听他哥哥的话了。" (Japan will be Japan. He's become a monster, and I can't do anything about it. He'll never listen to his brother's words again.)
China then turned on the spot and wrapped his good arm around me, causing me to jump a little but otherwise settle into the sudden embrace.
"你要保证。。。你绝不会变成想日本那样，佳韵。"(You have to promise me…that you won't become like Japan, Jia Yun.)
I drew back slightly to look at him with a softened gaze and held onto him tightly. "怎么可能？我是上海。我只是一个城市， 不是一个国家。而且，我是真真地爱我的大哥哥。打死我，也不会背叛你。"(How can I? I'm Shanghai. I'm only a city, not a country. Besides, I truly do love my big brother. So even if you beat me to death, I won't betray you.)
End of Document
Present Day
"Can you explain to me what you are doing in the world of Hetalia?" America flexed slightly and rested his back on the wall of the small room, leaning against it.
He was still speaking as Shinume, the more bitter and twisted side of the hostage's soul. "Weren't you happy enough staying in 'Guiding Spirit'?"
"I enter each world for the same purpose, Shinume. You know this." I said dully, eyes half closed due to both exhaustion and just basically being bored.
"What? That same sappy reason?" It was still quite bewildering for me to hear America's voice being used as a medium for someone else's thoughts. I had yet to get used to it. It was also quite painful, since the usually cheerful and optimistic America would never treat me like this.
Because I hadn't written him like that.
"Call it what you like. I'm not going to be affected by your taunts."
"…You really have gotten boring after waking up from that coma."
"I apologise that my life isn't interesting enough for you to laugh at anymore, but understand this; you are now just a remnant of Shinume. The Shinume we have now is not evil like you. She may still be tactless at times, but she's learned her lesson in the other world and has changed for the better."
"Blah, blah, blah, you know…What we're saying may confuse quite a lot of readers." America stood up straight again and walked towards me. "What if they hadn't encountered you in the Guiding Spirit universe beforehand? They're probably thinking who the heck this Shinume person is. You're being a real smartass right now. Don't you even bother considering if they're able to keep up?"
"It's better they don't understand. And if they do want to, then they can go ahead and read on."
"Heh. Well played, Shanghai. Or should I say, 'Jia Yun'."
"So…" And he suddenly grabbed the two sides of the chair back and leaned toward me with that same crooked smile. "When ARE you going to reveal to them that you never belonged in this universe anyway? I'm sure your…"brother" would be absolutely devastated when he finally finds out."
I remained silent.
"Must be nice, to have the ability to manipulate people's memories. Though I do admit they're quite dumb to not realise it yet. That it's against the rules for a city to be personified in the world of Hetalia"
I chuckled quietly. "Against the rules? I'd prefer it if you said it to be a 'creative exploration'."
He fell back slowly, like a rag doll, seemingly unfazed. "Well, we don't want them to know too much yet, these readers. So lets reveal more later."
I swallowed slightly as he said the next words. "Especially about how exactly you were able to become a personification. To be granted eternal life and represent a mass of population, history, geography and culture? Wouldn't that burden be too much for a normal human being to handle?"
"Judging from the fact that you've both turned up, I guess it's safe to assume that we're going together?" Britain pocketed a weapon and stepped out of his home to greet China and Japan.
"Hai. But we have yet to decide where we shourud rook first." Japan said in his usual quiet tone.
"Do you think it worth trying the most obvious place, America's house, aru?" China pulled out his ponytail to hastily secure it more tightly so it wouldn't get in the way and gazed in that direction.
Britain thought for a second and then nodded, green eyes quite determined. "Well, might as well. It's better than just standing here. Come on, let's go. Did you bring anything to fight him with by the way?"
"Don't have my wok with me today, aru. Have to rely on gong fu."
"You mean kung fu?"
"We say gong fu in Chinese."
"Oh, ok."
"I've…got my katana." Japan indicated to the sheathed sword strapped to his back and covered with a purple cloth.
"That sounds good. I can't remember the last time I used this properly, but I've got a gun." Britain revealed the shined black object in his pocket, the safety hatch on.
"Rooks bad ass."
"No quoting the official series now."
"Right, sorry."
"Let's head off then." Britain walked ahead with the other two behind.
After a few seconds, he blinked in confusion. Huh? Official series? What am I talking about…?
"Is it really that amusing to brainwash people?"
I'm not brainwashing them.
"You were never part of this story."
I know that.
"But you made yourself a part of it."
I couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"And now these people feel this sense of duty towards you."
I didn't ask for that. I merely wanted to show that one lost person that there is still someone who cares about him.
"Like you're their queen or something."
Stop it.
"But I guess we'll find out in the conclusion of this story…who truly cares about you."
Stop it…!
"After the truth is out;
we shall see who chooses to push you away,
and who chooses to still stay at the side of a memory tinkering witch."
Even though I tell myself I'm doing this for the sake of someone I love.
I still find myself shivering at the thought of them staring at me with eyes laced with nothing but rejection.
Author's Note;
A somewhat confusing ending. Don't worry, if you're confused, then that's all part of the plan. You'll understand soon enough when Shanghai is willing to tell more. At the current moment, she's too scared she'll lose her big brother.