For all author's notes please see Chapter 1.

More love for HKxChina shippers? I don't really know HK's view of the mainland before it was colonized by the UK so I made it up as the inner fangirl in me wanted it to be. The next chapter (or two) is going to focus on HK and China before I dive into the 2nd Opium War where a certain big-boned nation will make his re-appearance.

As always, thank you all for your kind reviews :)

P.S. All statistics were taken from wikipedia

CHAPTER 21: Clash of Nations

August 29th, 1842.

Yao stood on the deck of the HMS Cornwallis, looking out over the port of Nanking. The day was gloomy, heavy clouds lingering in the sky as if sensing the sombre mood of the people it loomed over. Below the deck Yao knew the representative of Queen Victoria of England and his own representative were negotiating the terms to bring an end to the war that had laid waste to his land. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the absurd term. Negotiate. More like they tell him what they wanted from him so that they'll stop painting his land with the blood of his people.

Dropping his head, hazel eyes gazed at the gently rocking waves, his mind wondering how in the world 19,000 soldiers from a land he had once thought barbaric and uncivilized had managed to overpower his entire military, bringing the nation to its knees. Even more humiliating and painful, Kirkland had only suffered about 500 casualties, wounded and killed included, while Yao's people…

The thought alone brought a flood of tears to the auburn eyes. Almost 20,000 of his people…gone. Families ruined, his land scorched, his pride trampled, the tears, the pain, the frustration of his people, it made Yao's head spin and he had to lean against the rails to stop the dizziness from causing him to fall overboard.

A soft hand on his back made the Asian man whip around, immediately regretting the move as it only made his head pound harder, a feeling Yao was all too familiar with recently. Ever since that night when Hong had brought him the first report of War Yao had refused to touch Opium again. Although the fact that by now around 2 million of his people were addicts affected his body greatly, Yao never touched his own pipe since the War began. The withdrawal he had had to suffer from stopping so abruptly had been excruciating. He had ranted and raved, flying into rampages around the palace, tripping over himself to find the drug. The only one that managed to stop him from relapsing was his brother who never left his side for a second. Day and night Hong had been there, wrapping comforting arms around the shaking man, offering words of encouragement and support, and when the need arose, tying him to the bed just to stop him from sneaking out and buying some on the streets. Hong never complained and never gave up, and even on this diplomatic trip Hong had insisted on coming along in case Yao needed help. The young boy was never one to speak much but he had grown into a solid anchor that Yao had come to depend on.

The person who greeted Yao when he turned, however, wasn't his beloved brother but the nation that had made his recent years so miserable. Green eyes watched him observantly, blond bangs falling over them making it hard to read the man's expression. Yao instinctively recoiled, flattening himself against the rails as he glared back, lips twisting in disgust.

"What do you want?"

The words were almost spat out, as if the taste of them made the speaker want to vomit. He was answered with a shrug as the man ran a gloved hand through his short hair, moving to settle beside Yao against the rails of the ship, looking out over the city. The Asian watched the other's every move suspiciously, like he expected the man to strike out against him without warning like a snake.

"The air's too suffocating below, I came up for some air."

Yao rolled his eyes. Right, and abroad this giant ship he just had to come find his little corner for air. Trying to shuffle away from the other without making it seem obvious, Yao set his lips in a thin line. He had nothing to say to this man. Words couldn't possibly express the vile feelings of contempt he held towards the actions of the other nation, and although Yao understood Arthur was no more in charge of his own actions as Yao was it was easier to direct his anger at a single person; the representation of the nation.

"You know, not everyone in my land agreed to the declaration of war. Even some in my Parliament felt it unjust and uncalled for."

A bark of incredulous laughter left Yao's lips. He levelled mocking eyes at the other not knowing whether he wanted to cry or laugh more at the words.

"What's this? An attempt to make me forgive you? Make me like you more? Forget that you just made 2 million of me people addicts to a poison that will kill them on top of the other thousands your military just annihilated? You will pardon me if my forgiveness runs thin."

A heavy sigh was accompanied by slumped shoulders as Arthur lifted remorseful eyes to Yao.

"I just want you to know, not all of my people enjoy seeing you suffer so. Unfortunately the most powerful ones…the most powerful ones tend to be the most ruthless."

Deep down, Yao was surprised at this sudden confession. Ever since the war's outbreak he had had no chance to speak with Arthur, both of them confined to the commander's headquarters. In a place where sympathizing with the enemy will get you killed there was little room for compassion, only encouragement to see the other side as the villain, the enemy, the immoral, unjust, cold blooded and inhuman. Yao knew that that was dangerous since after the war many had trouble breaking through that veil to see others in a negative and suspicious light, and even Yao had to take some time to readjust to normalcy outside of a military campaign. Presently, however, Yao's body still ached from the devastating defeat he had suffered at the hands of the nation before him. Not only did he lose the war, he had been humiliated, his dignity ripped from him and his people. The great Middle Kingdom, the ancient civilization of the East, where roaring rivers raced between soaring peaks, where thousands of years have honed a rich and thriving culture deep as the deepest of the seas, one would never believe any of those if they were to see the state the Kingdom was in now.

Yao bit his lip as his head pounded again like the drums of war he had been hearing far too often lately. Closing his eyes he lifted his head, trying to breath in some of the brisk air to clear his head.

"The terms of your treaty are absurd. Five more ports for trade opened to you with the ability to trade at your will and payment to you of 21 million silver dollars as compensation for a war you started, tell me Mr. Kirkland, exactly what kind of ingenious Western logic is this that victims pay compensation to criminals?"

Arthur flicked his eyes at Yao, his face stern. The biting words were dripping with disdain and Arthur had a feeling the Chinese man was almost on the verge of a breakdown if he gets pushed any further. His country was in ruin and for the first time he faced a very realistic possibility of being wiped from this Earth, that was enough of a threat to try the most steel minded.

"Criminals do not exist in international relations. Only the powerful and the weak, one dictating the rules to the other. Your governor, Lin Zexu burned our opium without compensation, earning the ire of my people, he is the one that ought to be branded the criminal."

Like lightening Yao turned to face Arthur full on, his lips snarled like an enraged tiger, one hand gripping the railing so tightly the wood cracked under his grip. His eyes seethed as auburn eyes almost glowed with a golden hue.

"Lin Zexu is a hero. He may have been scapegoated by this detestable government because they are weak and cowardly when faced with your modern weapons but in the minds of my people he will live on as a hero who feared neither you nor the corrupt government. You are in no position to speak so ill of him Arthur Kirkland."

Arthur found himself frozen to the spot at the sudden change in Yao. He could certainly understand why people compared the nation with a dragon now, and the words almost made the temperature around them drop to below freezing. Forcibly shaking himself out of his reverie, Arthur knitted his brows together as Yao's words stoked his own fire. Where does this arrogance come from? Even when beaten to such an extent Yao had the nerve to speak to him in such a haughty fashion. Arthur yearned to break that spirit in Yao and see the man break down completely. What a thrill it would be to see this great nation on his knees, to see those rich, brown eyes begging, to claim that slender, lithe body for himself. Neither Arthur's demand for money or access to his land had seemed to break Yao, though it had chipped his self-esteem and the Englishman grasped for the only other thing he could think of that Yao held dear.

"My position? Surely one who has fallen so low is in no way eligible to judge the position of others. A nation that had fallen to arrogance and corruption, Wang Yao you are no better than I, forcing those other nations whom you selfishly call 'siblings' to obey your every command. You took from them as I take from you now, I have liberated them from your backwards ways and enlightened their path to the future."

Yao bristled at the mention of his brothers and sister. His mind went wild as it tried to deny Arthur's accusations, his jaw clenching in anger.

"WHAT? I have NEVER forced them into anything! I would NEVER force poison down their throats and regale in their suffering. You foreign devil, how dare you…how dare you even ponder upon those lies?"

Arthur smirked as Yao lost his composure. Success. He had broken through the dragon's cool façade, and Arthur planned to peel away all the layers of Yao's shields until the Asian was stripped to his core, vulnerable and defenceless.

"Have you told yourself the lies so often that you've come to believe them too, Yao? Haven't you noticed how quickly these darling 'siblings' of yours have dispersed as soon as you fell from that golden throne? How often do they come to see you? Has any of them offered a helping hand in your time of need? Don't fool yourself any longer Wang Yao, they stayed with you because you were once the almighty dragon of the East whom all others admired and feared. They obeyed because they had to to escape your ire, but make no mistake that bond of 'family' was in your mind alone."

Yao's blood boiled and he felt it harder and harder to breath. He grasped his chest with one hand, coughing and gasping as he fell to his knees. His body was too weak from the fighting and the lingering effects of the opium leaving him unable to defend himself. The continuous coughing hurt his throat, as if a sharp needle was jabbing at it repeatedly. Yao felt something gurgling in the back of his throat and he quickly clasped his hand over his mouth, tasting the coppery flavour on his tongue before he spat it out into his palm. The warm, thick liquid dribbled through his fingers, dripping onto the wooden deck as Yao tried desperately to curb the hacking coughs. Dammit, why now? Why in front of this man did his body have to betray his weakness?

A concerned hand carefully patted his back, the owner kneeling down beside Yao and offering a silk handkerchief. A pair of butterflies was embroidered in the corner, a design Yao was too familiar with since he had been the craftsman behind the décor. With a nod of thanks he took the offering and wiped his mouth, his cough finally subsiding as his mind came back to its senses. Beside him, Hong watched quietly, still rubbing his brother's back without a word. He had heard the last bit of the conversation between Yao and Kirkland but before he could come to his brother's defence the boy watched with widened eyes as the black-haired nation fell. Lifting his head Hong pinned the foreigner with a cold look that mimicked the one Yao had graced at Arthur only moments before.

"That's not true."

Hong was never one for many words but when he did speak it was always something he felt strongly about. Three shorts words rang in Yao's ear and he glanced up at his brother, feeling his heart pounding. He grasped the handkerchief still in his hand tightly, eyes tearing as his little brother came to his aid.

Without another word, as if ignoring Arthur's presence, Hong wrapped an arm around Yao's waist, the other holding the arm closest to him and helped the older nation up from the deck. Yao had to lean heavily on the smaller boy as his own legs were shaky and threatened to give out on him without warning. At times like these he was really glad Hong had grown so much in the recent years, blossoming from the adorable yet sullen child into a find looking young man. Though his height was still no match for Yao his body had begun the transformation from that of a boy to that of a man, sturdy muscles shaping and the baby fat slipping away from his face. Yao could feel the strength in his baby brother's body as the other supported his weight with relative ease, his grip on Yao tight and secure as if trying to reassure the other that all was going to be ok.

"We were a family. We will always be a family. Don't compare yourself to big brother, you aren't worthy of that privilege."

Hong's words didn't waver. He gave Arthur a harsh glare before moving to help Yao back down the stairs into the body of the ship where he could rest a bit. Arthur found himself standing alone, watching the retreating back of the two brothers, so similar yet still so different. Yao's last defence, his last anchor, his last hold on security; all of a sudden Arthur knew exactly how to break the Asian man and he stormed off to find his representative in the negotiation process to add one more stipulation to the treaty that will bring an end to this war that was won far too easily.

END CHAPTER 21

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