Japan was running. Despite the agony burning through his wounded and damaged body, he continued to run even as a strangled cough escaped from him. Blood dripped onto his chin. The Asian nation breathed through the heavy scent of blood. It was all over. The stains dripped against the leaves of the trees, and scattered limbs burned in his mind as Japan continued to run. Pain continued to build up in his chest, and Japan felt his breathing become fast and shallow as it increased. So many of his citizens had died in Okinawa's house. It had been an invasion by America and his soldiers.

Japan suddenly stopped as another, stronger agony surged through him as he collapsed onto the ground. Onegai shimasu… Japan pleaded to his former ally again as blood leaked from his lips as another cough escaped from him. Onegai… America and his allies and started bombing Japan's house starting last year. The fires and the bodies of the dead, kimonos burnt and the faces of death burned through the Japanese nation's mind as his body racked with pain, feeling his people die as they died alone. Japan's normal expressionless face marred in agony as he stood again. The kimono he wore was stained with blood, and his face was pale with exhaustion.

His left leg slightly dragged behind him, thinking of Okinawa. Japan had met her when she had been in control of one of his citizens. The Satsuma domain had been powerful then, powerful enough to control the government of very small set of islands known as the Ryūkyu Kingdom. Japan hadn't expected to find a young girl wearing a brightly colored kimono-like attire with the red and gold with birds and wearing an odd hat on her head in the shape of a flower. She immediately jumped into his arms, squeezing his stomach as the Japanese nation became flustered and tried to pull away. The child, Japan noted, looked up at him with a strange wisdom and smiled. "Yorishiku onegai shimasu, oniichan!" Japan was stunned. How could she speak so well in his language? A nod from one of his citizens alerted him of the child holding onto him, smiling as he realized that she was not a human child.

She was a nation.

Although Japan told her not to, she continued to insist calling him oniichan. The memory of the endearment reminded the Japanese nation of a time when he had run into China's arms, breathless with happiness with a rare smile on his face, laughing as the sakura bloomed. Oniichan loves these flowers, Japan had thought as China shyly pulled away from the small nation's embrace. I wonder how many I should give to him… The time was past now. China had the scar on his back, his screams and the rivers of blood flashing in Japan's mind as he remembered the enraged looks of the Korea twins as he calmly sat down and talked with them. Taiwan was subdued and wouldn't speak with him. Unlike the others, Okinawa was happy living with Japan. She loved it whenever he came by to her home, acting much like the very small child she had been instead of the young woman that Japan knew she would become. Even as she began showing signs of exhaustion, dark rings around her eyes, and slight blood on her clothes, she always seemed to be more concerned with Japan than herself. Okinawa… Japan thought as he thought of her broken body prone before the triumphant America-san. He remembered the first time when he had first brought her first kimono. It was a present for officially becoming part of the Japanese territory. Japan remembered of how she had glowed when she had put on the kimono, dancing and laughing as she smiled at him, beaming. They had become very close over the centuries they had known each other. The girl had been enthralled in Japan's culture, and wanted to know so much about his people. Japan noted of how she spoke of her own culture and her own people. She was very pleased to note that their languages were so similar, and taught him many things about her land and the beauty of the islands that she loved so much. She wasn't arrogant about her culture or history. She didn't scorn him for being the youngest nation, for she was older than him. Looking at his younger sister and seeing of how she loved everything around her made Japan think that the name that he chose for her was a fitting one. Her name was Ren, a name meaning love.

Now as Japan in vain searched for Okinawa, his dark eyes searched the ground. Bodies were everywhere. A dead baby lied near its mother, its empty eyes open at the sky. Farther away, Japan could see a group of children, the blood from their wounds seeping onto the ground. He spotted a lone Japanese soldier along the path, his face calm even as his intestines spilled out of him. Japan crouched down, ignoring the numbing pain that shook through him as he silently whispered a prayer for his citizen that had died in such a gruesome way.

Soon Japan found Okinawa. She was lying on her side, blood crusted against her face. Her formerly gentle expression was empty, and her head was bare, leaving her long hair undone. The traditional clothing that she had taken pride in was torn and stained with more blood and had streaks of mud. "Okinawa…" Japan muttered, his voice catching in his throat as he watched Okinawa struggle to take breath. "Please, say something for me…Okinawa." He waited with bated breath. Suddenly, Okinawa attempted to move from where she was and hissed in agony as she stared at Japan. The formerly adoring eyes that had echoed in Japan's expressionless eyes now were dark in anger. In rage. Japan softly gasped, recognizing the gaze that had echoed in his mind for years.

"You…used me." Her voice was somber and almost inaudible. "You…I meant nothing to you." Okinawa attempted to stand again, but her face marred with pain. "Your soldiers killed my people," she whispered as gradual rage burned through her voice. "So many of them. I saw them." Her enraged stare shook Japan. Her hands shakily pointed to him. "They told them to commit suicide, that the Americans were coming and would kill them and rape them!" Blood dripped from her mouth from the shouting coming from her. "Lies! All lies!" Japan could only breathe deeply as Okinawa suddenly stood and starting screaming. "I became what you wanted to be, a perfect Japanese doll! I thought that you cared for me, but they said that my people weren't Japanese! We were inferior, just uncivilized Okinawans!" Her breathing became erratic as Japan's eyes widened. "Your so-called honorable soldiers left all of us to die! They fled, just like you did Japan!" Tears started to streak down the female nation's cheeks. "You didn't protect me, or care for me at all!"

"Okinawa!" Japan shouted, desperation suddenly sizing him as Okinawa continued to cry and her angry eyes bored into his own. "Okinawa, I'm sorry," he softly stated. "I…when I found out, my boss wouldn't let me go. I searched and searched for you, and I –"

"Shut up, Japan!" Hearing his nation name caused Japan to inwardly falter. Okinawa had never called him that before, not even when she knew who he was. "I'm…not Japanese anymore! I'm Okinawan! You don't care for me, and you never have. I know that at the first chance you got, you would just kill me just like your soldiers!"

"Ren –" Suddenly Japan's choked cry was cut off by Okinawa jumping on him. Her dark brown eyes narrowed as she aimed a bone dagger at his throat.

"Don't ever call me that," she whispered furiously in Okinawan. "I'm not….that child anymore." The dagger cut a bit of flesh, and Japan was still as the female nation remained impassive as blood leaked from the small cut. "I hate you, Japan! I hate you!" Her screams rose into the air. "I will never forgive you for what you have done to me!" Taking Japan's trembling hands in her own, she softly whispered into his ear. "You're not my brother anymore."

Japan stared dully at Kuro as the memory remained in his mind. Okinawa's enraged expression echoed in his mind, and hearing her voice. How…could I have forgotten? Japan thought as the memories filtered through his mind. The blood and the bodies as he saw Okinawa on the ground. Does she remember this? Japan surmised that she did, else why would she refuse to meet with him for the past ninety decades? He had tried to call out to her during the years after the war, but nothing had been successful. He only obtained the same enraged and cold manner that he had received from China and South Korea.

"Nande?" he whispered as the scene of Okinawa holding the dagger played in his mind. "Nande watashi wa…oboete imasen…deshita?"

"It happens that way with memories you don't want to remember," Kuro stated tonelessly in English. Japan stared at him in shock. He had forgotten that Koru was even there. "Those that were the victims of the torment, either angry enough or damaged enough that they could not forget, remembered the past as you forgot for your own benefit." Suddenly, he turned Japan's face towards his own and lifted it. "Do you understand now why your former siblings hate you now?" Japan didn't respond. His breathing was becoming irregular as he remembered of the scenes that he had implanted into Kuro. The memory that he had just witnessed had been the fifth memory. Seeing Okinawa scream at him and telling him that he was no longer her brother wounded him more than he thought it would. Japan remembered staring emotionlessly as China wailed and screamed as Nanking burned. He remembered crouching in front of a cowering Taiwan, ordering her to obey him as he stood with his red katana pointing at her pale face. He saw young girls, crying and screaming, as they were lead away. Seeing his impassive face, doing nothing to help the mere children that would serve the Japanese military. A strange emotion overcome Japan then. He felt vomit through his throat, wanting to throw up but couldn't. His eyes squeezed shut, an attempt to stop the images from destroying him mind any further. It didn't work.

"Nakimasu ka?" Japan hoarsely whispered as he brushed his fingers against his wet face. It had been…centuries since he had cried. That had been when… He watched as Kuro's red eyes bored into his own, noting of the contempt in them. Japan attempted to cease the tears from flowing, but they continued to flow. "Watashi wa…nakimasu ka?" Japan shuddered as the tears streaked down his face.

His tears looked like pearls.


Nande? - Why?

Nande watashi wa oboete imasen deshita? - Why couldn't I remember?

Nakimasu ka? - Crying?

Watashi wa nakimasu ka? - I am crying?


In 1609, the Satsuma domain of Japan invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom and became subordinate to Japan. Okinawa and the rest of the Ryukyu Kingdom was subjugated to Japanese rule in 1879, and its citizens were discriminated against and pressured to accept the Japanese culture as superior to their own. From April 1, 1945 to June 22, 1945, the United States invaded Okinawa in an attempt to prepare for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. Japanese soldiers told the Okinawans that the American soldiers would commit atrocities to them and it would be better to commit suicide. Some Okinawans were forcibly killed. The Japanese soldiers left the Okinawans to defend for themselves. 12, 000 Americans died during the battle, and 70,000 Okinawans and Japanese military personal were killed.