This chapter is what happened once Japan ran away that one day.
I must say it's the best thing I've ever written.
Enjoy!

'That bastard!' young Japan thought as he ran through the bamboo forest, away from his 'home'. 'That good-for-nothing idiot for a so-called brother! He can just go to hell for all I care!'

His thoughts were cut short by a steep hill, which he proceeded to roll down and land roughly at the bottom. Not bothering to get up, young Japan lay on his back and stared up at the sky. He tried to fight the tears that stung his eyes, but upon losing that battle, he allowed them to flow down his cheeks. He didn't understand why he was crying, it wasn't his fault. Even though he was the one who broke the vase. To him, it was all China's fault, and no one else's. He knew the old man had a secret reason for taking him in, and drinking apparently was the only way he'd spit it out.

Going over what had happened in the house, young Japan just got angrier with his so-called 'family'. Vietnam had come home to find part of the house a wreck thanks to Taiwan and South Korea and discovered China to have been missing for a month. Out drinking and partying, obviously.

When China had returned in his drunken stupor, Vietnam started yelling at him, but China wasn't listening and young Japan was sure that Vietnam was only yelling to get some frustration out of her system and that even she didn't know what she was saying. The fact that she wasn't paying attention to what China was saying made young Japan mad, so he didn't hesitate to throw the broken pieces of vase at the both of them. He also didn't hesitate on running.

Young Japan knew that it would only be a matter of time before the others came looking for him. Standing from his spot at the bottom of the hill, he began to wander farther into the bamboo forest. As he wandered, rain began to fall.

~0~

Nearby, in a clearing amidst the bamboo, Matea beamed down from her invisible airship above. She could sense her shard close by, but couldn't pinpoint it exactly. There was a different kind of energy that interfered, masking the shard's energy ever so slightly.

Wandering through the bamboo forest, it began to rain. Opening an invisible shield over her head to keep the rain off her, just like an umbrella, she kept walking. She didn't let the rain bother her. If she had been there on vacation or something, she would have loved dancing in the rain in such a quiet and beautiful place. There was an air of peace throughout the whole forest; an air Matea was rarely able to feel, since she was mainly in a warzone wherever she went.

Taking in the clean air that dripped with rain, Matea heard the voice that continued to follow her wherever she went.

"Lovely weather isn't it?" the voice said, full of sarcasm.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed yourself to me." Matea said, not bothering to turn towards the voice.

"Of course." The voice hissed. "But I'm afraid I will not be playing in this round of our game."

"And why not?" Matea asked.

"The positive energies of this world are making me quite ill." The voice said. "And I'm sure we will be returning here again sometime in the future, so I will withdraw for now. See you in the next world. I'll be sure to do double damage to make up for this world."

And with that, the voice, the darkness that would always follow her, left without a sound.

Matea found it odd that the darkness couldn't find someone with the least bit of rage, hatred or any one of the seven sins lingering inside them. Then it dawned on her.

Maybe there wasn't a suitable host for him, since he was a being without a solid physical form. It could have been a number of things to make him find a host unsuitable. The host's intentions could have been too mild, or it could have been a woman or—

Out from the stalks of bamboo ran a young boy, his cheeks streaked with tears and a fire of anger and hate burning in his heart, showing through his eyes. He tripped while trying to pass her, and simply began to cry; adding more tear streaks to his cheeks.

Or maybe the host was too young.

"You alright there?" Matea asked, kneeling down to check on the young boy. The boy looked at her with a look that told her to back off, but at the same time asked her for a hug, begging to be comforted. Taking the latter definition, she took the boy in her arms and began to carry him off, despite his resistance. After a moment of fighting back, the boy relaxed in her arms. He snuggled into the crook of her neck and soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

~0~

After being forced to clean his house with the painful beginning of his hangover, China sat in his room, rubbing his temples. Vietnam said he needed to get out of his hangover before they could go out and look for Chibihon, but only time could heal his pounding head. And no matter how long she yelled at him to hurry up, there was no rushing the slow healing process of getting out of a painful hangover.

As he lay on his bed and ran a hand through his long hair, China tried remembering what had happened over the past month. Or more importantly, what had happened when he had walked in the door about four hours ago. What did he say to make Chibihon break a vase and throw the shattered pieces at him and Vietnam? Placing his palm over his eyes, he tried to think through his throbbing head.

~0~

After waking from his little nap, young Japan sat up in the bed he had been tucked into. Looking around, he found no bamboo, but the red-colored walls of a small bedroom. The air felt comfortable and made him feel warm inside, almost to the point of convincing him to go back to sleep, but he wanted to know where he was, and who brought him there.

Climbing out of bed, he found himself in a fluffy white robe instead of his normal clothes. Slipping on the pair of white slippers at the side of the bed, young Japan began to look around. Once out the door, he looked left and right; both ways were long hallways. Kicking his slipper off and into the hallway, he followed the way it pointed: right.

As young Japan walked, he peeked into every room he passed. There was another bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and another door that had a 'private' sign on it. Curious as a child should be, he reached up and jiggled the handle: it was unlocked. Opening the door, he peeked inside. A voice startled him.

"So you're awake." It said. Young Japan jumped back out into the hallway from the surprise, but the voice, a woman's voice, coaxed him back in.

"I didn't mean to spook you." She said. "Come in."

Young Japan remained cautious, but he felt very comfortable all of a sudden. Also, as he had noticed, the woman sitting at the desk was very strange. He had never thought one's hair could be that bright and shiny color of gold that resembled the flowers in China's garden- Young Japan shook that thought out of his head. The last thing- or person – he wanted to think about was stupid China.

"Are you the one who brought me here?" he asked. The woman nodded, and he could see her eyes that were the color of the sky, bright and welcoming. She must be a foreigner. He thought. That would explain the different color eyes and hair.

While young Japan was thinking, he didn't notice the woman rising from her desk and striding over to him. A light pat on the head brought his attention to the adult in front of him.

"Did you have a nice sleep?" she asked. He nodded. Then he remembered.

"Where are my clothes?" he asked.

"Oh, they're in the wash." She said. "They were covered with dirt and mud. Probably from when you fell."

Japan nodded; it was probable reason to change him. As he stared up at the older woman, he started wondering. Just why did she bring him in like that, just picking him up and taking him wherever they were?

"Where are we anyway?" he asked aloud. After a pause, the woman smiled.

"Let me show you." She said, picking him up. She walked out of the office and down the hallway, finally coming to a single door. It slid open and she stepped in with young Japan in her arms. The small room was an elevator that went down for what felt like forever, until the door finally opened and the woman carried him out into a large forest with trees that were covered with pretty pink flowers.

"What are these?" he asked. "I've never seen them before."

"I'll let you find that out." The woman said, setting him on the ground, his clothes having magically appeared back on his body and felt so clean, as if they were new. Young Japan looked up at her with a tad of suspicion, but all the same turned from her and wandered through the trees. It felt so familiar… and yet so strange at the same time. Then he wondered. Just how far from China's house were they?

"We are just a ways west," the woman said, reading his mind, "on an island that hasn't been formally claimed. It's the sort of place that's pretty much perfect: pure and untouched. That is, until someone comes to massively colonize it. Then most likely it will fall to ruin dozens upon dozens of times until it will finally have the peace it began with."

"I wouldn't let that happen." Young Japan said, catching her off guard. "I'd keep this place perfect and peaceful as it is right now."

"Is that your way of asking me to leave you here?" the woman asked, taking her turn to surprise the young boy. Young Japan thought. Was she offering? And… Is that what he wanted?

~0~

It was no use. China, Vietnam and everyone in the nearby towns searched high and low for Chibihon, and there was absolutely no sign of him. Where could he have gone? And what was even more worrying was WHY?

Back at the house, China smacked himself around trying to remember what he had said to make Chibihon run away. Stomping back downstairs to the main entrance, he leant on the wall and thought.

'Okay, so I walked in… and I was pretty wasted…' he tried to recap what had happened for the billionth time. 'My vision was dazed, and Viet was yelling about something… And Chibihon was there… And… And I said something. But WHAT?'

Slamming his fist against the wall, China slumped down onto the floor in defeat. Would Chibihon come back on his own? Or was he kidnapped? Did he want to come back at all? All those questions only made China worry more. After all, he, Vietnam and the others were the only ones who knew he was a nation-

Oh no.

It all came back with that one thought. As Vietnam yelled at China for going out and leaving the kids alone, he focused his attention on Chibihon in his drunken stupor.

"Silly Chibi*hic*hon. You shouldn't *hic* go telling on your big brother *hic* like that. You're my territory *hic* after all."

DAMMIT!

~0~

"Am… am I allowed to stay?" young Japan asked. "I don't think I want to go back to that place."

"Did they mistreat you?" the woman asked. Young Japan shook his head.

"That stupid China…" he mumbled. "All I am is property to him… That's the only reason he took me in. Sure he said he wanted to help me since I didn't have a home, but… all he wanted me for was to be his 'territory'."

"Are you sure that that was his intention?" the woman asked; young Japan noticed her blue eyes began to darken in their color. He shivered at the look, but stood his ground.

"It probably was." He said. "He's selfish after all."

The woman sighed. It was going to take a lot to convince him to go back, and a growling stomach distracted her from thinking.

"Guess it's time to eat." She said. "Let's head back to the ship."

Young Japan nodded and followed. Every moment away from that stupid China was for the better.

Right?

~0~

China sat at the table, picking at his food. His appetite was non-existent, but Vietnam told him he needed to eat if he wanted to keep looking for Chibihon. After everyone was finished eating aside from him, Vietnam sighed.

"Are you really not hungry?" she asked. China nodded without a word. She sighed again. "Fine, then head to bed. I'll put your food in the fridge in case you want it later."

Again nodding without a word, China rose from the table and headed upstairs. Passing Chibihon's room, a sob escaped from the eldest nation, and he ran the rest of the way to his room, trying to keep the tears back. Failing at that, he fell onto the bed and cried quietly into his pillow. Every thought that ran through his head only made him worry more about the young nation. Was he hurt? Kidnapped? Both? Or worse? He couldn't stop thinking about it.

I don't care if you hate me for the rest of my life Nihon. He thought. Just come back safely. Please…

~0~

Jolting from his sleep and sitting up in bed, young Japan looked around. After remembering he was in the airship of the woman he had met, who had said her name was Mitari, he laid back down. What just happened? He could've sworn he heard China's voice echoing in his head. Was it guilt? No, it couldn't be…

"It probably is; you just won't admit it." Mitari (whom was really Matea) said from the single chair in young Japan's room. She wasn't there a moment ago!

"What reason do I have to be guilty?" Japan asked. Mitari sighed and looked out the window.

"You know China doesn't think you as just property." She said. "And you know he's panicking with you missing and all."

"He does not." Japan said with a particularly cute frown. "He has three other kids I bet are his property too. He doesn't need me—"

"Before he found you," Mitari interrupted, "who was your family? Where did you live? Who protected you from animals and strangers? I know you were alone all that time, Nihon, and China does as well. He's always known that you're… special. All the kids in that house are. He brought you there to keep you safe. At least until you're ready to be on your own."

"I think I'm ready." Japan muttered.

"I'll let you think it over some more." Mitari said, pretending to not heart his muttering and giving him a little pat on the head before leaving the room. "But be careful. Guilt can destroy ones body much faster than any illness."

~0~

Another two days passed, and young Japan remained in deep thought throughout the entire time, whereas China continued to refuse to eat or sleep. Guilt was eating away at both of them.

Finally, Japan approached Mitari.

"I think…" he muttered, drawing her attention from the papers on her desk. "I think I've worried him enough… I-I'll go back now."

With a smile, Mitari stood from her desk and proceeded to pick up and hug the little nation.

"What are your final thoughts?" she asked.

"…China may be weird and selfish and an old geezer…" Japan muttered. "But I guess he knows best. Y-You know, protecting me and the others and stuff… And I'm sure there are more things about him that make him a good guardian, I just need to find them."

"Good boy." Mitari smiled, putting him down. "Now let's get you home."

~0~

China sat alone in the garden in the middle of the rain. He was still crying, but this way no one would notice. He could see down the path that led through the bamboo forest, and his heart squeezed at thinking that Nihon wouldn't come walking down that path to come home after three days. No one could describe the pure relief and happiness he was feeling as he saw just that. As if everything were normal, Little Japan came walking down the path home. The only thing China wanted to do at that moment was to hug the little nation, and with a cry of Nihon!, he did.

Japan wasn't used to being hugged to tightly as China was doing, but he didn't complain. He knew he had worried him, so that was obviously going to be his reaction to him coming home. Returning the hug, Japan let China continue to cry on his shoulder as the other Asian nations ran out of the house and into the rain to see if Japan had really returned. Sighs of relief came from them and everyone who had participated in the searches, glad that he was finally home. Dinner was massive, and China was finally able to sleep again, knowing that Japan was home again, safe and sound.

~0~

"And the next day I came down with a horrible cold." China laughed at himself. "You know, from sitting out in the rain."

"And to this day you still don't know where he was?" Canada asked. China nodded.

"I never pressed him about it." The eldest nation said. "If he wanted to tell me, he would have. I trust that he would, anyway. Thanks for letting me vent, Canada."

"No problem." Canada smiled. "I'm a good listener after all."

"Who?" Kumajiro adjusted his position on Canada's bed.

"Canada."

"I wonder how he's doing." China muttered. "Healing, I mean."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Canada said. "Don't you worry."

And there you have it.
Chapter 13 in progress.

Reviews are Love! and are greatly appreciated.

Tell me what you think of this chapter!