A/N: Surprise! One chapter after another! And this is the second-to-last chapter of Children of War! Here, take this cookie! (::)

Anyway, this chapter covers the final Chapter of the story – next time, it'll be the Epilogue. Enjoy, 親愛的讀者 (1)!

P.S. I recommend that you listen to Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. You will find that the chorus really fits the theme of the chapter ;-D

Chapter Six: Senso o Wari (2)

15 August 1945 12:00 (Japan standard time)

Hong Kong's PoV

"We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provisions of their Joint Declaration…(3)" For whatever reason, there is a radio in my…ahem, 'room'. I have chosen to lie down, vision fading from my eyes. But I haven't fallen into the Nations' 'Death Coma'.

I know that there is blood, dried or still wet, on the walls, on the floor, staining the 'room' with fraternal betrayal.

Hold on a minute, does he mean the Potsdam Declaration? As in, unconditional surrender?

"Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers… (3)" They…accepted it. It's over. Senso o wari. The war is over.

Potsdam. The Rengō kuni (4) have won the War. Born of Allies, raised by an Ally. I fought by the Allies' side. I am an Ally. The Allies won. I won.

No, we won.

I feel my lips curl up, as the world above me remains a fuzzy grey, perhaps fading into black, perhaps fading away to the 'room'. I don't care anymore. Because the War is over. It's over. It. Is. All. Over.

1 Day Later

Nathan's PoV

It. Is. All. Over.

I wrap my bony arms around my older tsuin (5). Those zurui (6) bakayarou-s (7) can go back to the islands where they came from (at least us Districts have a chunk connected to mainland Asia!) and kuso kurae (8). Normally, Em would be reprimanding me for my language and if I said it out loud, I would be dragged to face child abuse, but at this point, no one cares anymore. Still, I didn't say it out loud, but man, it feels like a mountain was just lifted off of my shoulders.

We weren't sure yesterday. Now, we are. Senso o wari. The Victoria City triplets (minus Vicky, heaven knows where she is), the New Territories Districts…pretty much all of us other than Vicky, Autumn and Skye (who have been missing since the beginning of these s***ty Three Years and Eight Months) have gathered near the damaged Clock Tower (9). I feel salty liquid on my cheeks. They say that boys are not allowed to cry, but I guess I can give this rule an exception: boys are not allowed to cry…unless a long war is over and his big brother is coming home.

1-Traditional Chinese for 'dear reader'. Google Translate didn't mess up this time.

2-Japanese for something along the lines of 'the war is over', taken from P.210 of We Shall Suffer There: Hong Kong's Defenders Imprisoned, 1942-45 by Tony Banham. Do not, under any circumstances, trust the translation supplied by Google Translate, in this case.

3-Excerpt(s) from the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, read by the Japanese Emperor.

4-Japanese for Allied Nations, or I guess, Allies. This is according to Wikipedia.

5-Apparently, Japanese for 'twin'.

6-Japanese insult: unfair, selfish, conniving.

7-Another Japanese insult: total grade-A idiot/asshole. Level-up from 'baka'. Without the 's', of course – I can't find the plural form of the insult. *awkwardness ensues*

8-Yet another Japanese insult: eat s**t.

9-Currently the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, or formally, the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower. And no, it is not my City's vital regions, in case you are wondering. That is inappropriate and weird. So get your head out of the damn gutter.

A/N: I will be posting the final chapter/Epilogue next week or so, 'cos I'm heading to visit Osaka and co. in less than 24 hours after writing this and I'm leaving home at around 5 am (it's about 3-4 pm now). I'll see you then, reader! Leave reviews and I will give cookies!