HETALIA BELONGS TO HIDEKAZ HIMARUYA
Spain was very hopeful. China was not only eating the products he had given him to try, but also seemed to be enjoying them. Not that China was the kind of a guy who would share his thoughts aloud, but on his face was this expression which told Spain that he actually liked the flavors of his ham and wine, and that was a sign that maybe they would make a deal in the end.
China cleaned his mouth with a handkerchief he kept inside his pocket and gave Spain a nod.
"I want this." He smirked, and that made Spain grin.
"Hah! I knew you'd like it! The acorn-fed Iberian ham is the best. I always try to get one for special dates."
"Since you asked me for a lot of products, I am sure we can reach an agreement..." China started to say, and immediately put his hand into his coat to grab from an inside pocket the most wonderful view for anyone who tried to make business with the Asian giant: the little bullet journal where he wrote down his calculations, deals, white lists.
But, surprisingly, Spain barely paid any attention to that, because he was seeing the hour on the screen of his phone.
"Sure, sure, but how about we take care of the details the day after tomorrow?"
China rose his eyes at him, stranged. "Why wait so long?"
"It's January the 5th. And look at the time!"
China checked his own phone. It was around six in the afternoon. For some nations, that was the time to have dinner but for Spain that was way too early. No business or office was closed at that time. So what was the rush?
"We're going to miss the parade!" Spain clarified, thank goodness.
"What parade?" China asked.
"The Three Wizard Kings!" A little pause. China stared at him with a slight frown. "Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar? Does that ring any bells?"
China thought he remembered. Some Spanish Christmas tradition. Right, for Spain, Christmas didn't end until Epiphany, so this was the big time of the holidays. But he had no idea of why that interfered with the matter in their hands.
"Uhm, are you sure you don't prefer trading with me over some people disguised as...?"
"You know I love trading with you, China. Everyone is dying to. But their Majesties only come to visit once a year, so we cannot miss it!" It seemed Spain had already made up his mind: got up and put his coat on. "Come on, we can continue this any other time. See this as my invitation to celebrate our deal, okay? We've been talking for hours. And you've been working hard all year. A little rest. Hm?"
China clicked his tongue and stood up and prepared to leave, too. After dealing with Spain for some decades, he still had to get used to how informal he was, even in a matter as sacred and serious to him as money. Yes, that was probably why he had to ask Europe for money and had to lick the boots of nations like him.
Well, what the hell. Didn't he always accept the evenings at restaurants, spas, clubs, his partners lavished him on? He couldn't say no to Spain. This meant a lot to him.
They got out the building and walked to the Castellana thoroughfare. Azca only had businessmen and bankers that morning when they entered the office, but when they got out, it was crowded with people, mostly families. No cars were driving on the road: the ways were cut and barriers kept the public contained on both sides. An invitation was needed to be in first line, and Spain seemed to have privileges due to his condition as the nation. China saw him exchange some words with a few policemen, patted their backs, conversated a little with them. He showed him a very good spot to see.
China honestly didn't know what he was doing there, surrounded by kids who were being loud and looked at him funny. If it wasn't for that ham tasting so good...He could always copy it...It wasn't that difficult to just grab some pigs, feed them with acorns and stuff...
"I love their little faces." Spain said to China, pointing at the children who were so eager to see the Kings that they couldn't stay still and drove their poor parents crazy.
"I actually don't see the point in all of this. Call it Wizard Kings, Santa Claus or Befana or whatever. Why tricking children like this? Why making them bel-?"
Spain stopped him abruptely, shaking his head violently, clearing his throat like he had just swallowed a chainsaw, and turning his eyes at the children surrounding them. China didn't really mind it. Those children probably didn't understand a word in English anyway.
"Won't it be better to tell the kids that there will be no magical creatures protecting them and rewarding them just for doing what they are supposed to do, so they are prepared for the future?" He continued.
"Oh, practical China..." Spain smirked, rolling his eyes.
"I know it's a tradition, but..."
"It's okay. I know. You don't believe in anything you can't see. Magic is only good if it gives you a market to sell your products to."
"You think I am a materialist, but I don't think any of the people in here came to admire the faith or whatever virtue those wizards represent and all their lives they've only seen them as ATMs for free presents."
"There they come!" Spain interrupted, pointing at the police cars and motorcycles approaching, with their blue lights and sirens playing. In fact, the first to parade were the security forces, received with awe by the children, who would always find the authority intimidating but incredibly fascinating at the same time.
The theme that year, China would observe, was the world of toys, and so all the coaches and costumes were based on that.
A group of puppeteers dressed with black suits, fusing with the pavement and the dark of the night, handled a gigantic, simple marionette which waved its hand at the people. Then, a good number of women dressed like vintage dolls passed by them, followed by tin soldiers. A 70s bus, replaced by modern models and reduced to a museum piece at the time, was next, and it was the leader of a good group of two-story buses with disguised people at the top waving at the crowd.
Something hit China in the eye. Candy. A boy was quick to grab it as soon as it fell at his feet. China rose his head only to be hit once more. These sweet projectiles came from these paraders.
"They're for you!" Spain explained as he tried to grab as much as he could from the ground. Since he was quicker than a little girl and he felt guilty for it, he gave it to her in the end.
Well, free candy was nice, but was it too much to ask that they didn't try to kill him?
"This is the time of wonder." Spain retook the conversation they left on hold. "You were a kid once, weren't you?"
"Sure I was." China said.
"Who could have told."
"But we didn't have these comforting fairytales when we were young." China reminded him, watching a firefighter's truck which drove all children mad (how children love firefighters!). "In fact, all we had were cautionary tales, monsters lurking out of the house at night, scary warnings..."
China paused, mesmerized for a moment by the warm lights.
"...Some of us didn't have Rome, or adoptive parents to protect us..." He muttered.
He wouldn't notice, with his eyes on the parade, that Spain's smile faded while he stared at him.
Some promotional floats, from a famous department store group, a children's TV channel. The Royal Theatre had created a very original one in which musicians were disguised like a band of dolls playing instruments.
"Yeah, well...I guess no one had it easy in the past..." Spain said. "And the old days can be...pretty dark, not gonna lie. But, isn't Christmas the time for hope?"
China smirked. "That sounds like something right out of one of America's cheesy Christmas movies."
"Heh, I know. But it's true. These holidays have been very distorted, but that's the sense we Christians find in it. Our Savior being born. But I'm sure the rest of you, who don't believe in those things, have something to be hopeful about."
Floating, gigantic balloons with acrobats hanging from them. Ballerinas twirling their way. Big teddy bears waving their paws at the children.
And there was the first Wizard King, sitting in a golden and blue throne, surrounded by pages who tossed candy at the public. Melchor, Melchor!, the people called him. Representing the old age and Europe. The one who brought Jesus Christ the gift of gold, as it was customary for royalty.
There was a time when Spain was a king and people kissed the floor he walked on. Now he was no one. Nothing. Nor a threat, not a good ally. He was...just there, on the map. Every year, it seemed his finances got worse and worse, and all of his projects failed. Did he really think he would ever get his lost glory back?
It seemed not. In fact, he wasn't even worried about closing his deal with him. It was impossible to tell what his plans for the future were. Perhaps some people see it absurd to plan ahead and just take what comes to them.
Gaspar, Gaspar! The cries changed. The costumes changed, and so did the floats and the colors. Red and white for the second Wizard King, coming from his continent: Asia. Middle age, brown hair. He brought Jesus incense, used in religious rituals, meaning that, while Melchor recognized him as king, he was also acknowledged as God.
Their eyes met and China would have said that Gaspar smiled at him, only him, and bowed his head at him in recognition. He would later wonder why he did that, but he rose a hand at him to return the gesture.
Back at home he never had a Wizard King to bring him presents, to write to expressing his whims...His emperors were never too nice on him. In fact, they tried to bury him alive with every new dinasty, because he represented the old government, something to renew and get rid of...
He thought of Spain. Yes, he also had his share. Like he said, no one had it easy.
And finally Baltasar. Baltasar, Baltasar, the children called him. He was one of the most beloved, clearly. Another drastic change because the last Wizard King was from Africa, and therefore his skin was black. His colors were green and golden. He represented youth. He brought Jesus the strangest present of all: myrrh. A resin used as a balsam for the dead. Because Christ's fate was sealed before time, he came to the world for a specific purpose.
China looked around him and saw happy faces everywhere. Children old enough to be told the truth behind the Kings in little time. Some who must have already known. The little ones who were completely clueless and had eyes and mouths open wide. Even Spain shouted at the kings, waved his arms at them, grabbed all candy he could.
It made China think...
He, all the nations had to grow up too fast...That is, if they were even allowed to be children once. They missed the most wonderful age of them all. The age when everything was possible, and the world was so full of wonders, and everything was new and bright. Sure they clang to that feeling as adults—even though it wouldn't be the same, after all they went through and had to do...
He looked at those children, thought of the ones from his own house and thought...Let children believe in magic. There will be time to get them prepared for the awful truth. Just one night. Just the night when the Wizard Kings come.
Again they tried to massacre him with candy. But this time he was faster. He amazed everyone around him catching them flying. He took so many he had enough to bring a good amount to little friends he had back at home, give a handful to the children by his side and keep some to himself.
"Okay, it's over. What now?" China asked Spain.
"Now it's the best part." Spain smiled.
He took him to his house. A nice dinner was waiting for them: roasted lamb. But he had to leave space in his stomach for the roscón—the King cake—, a round bun stuffed with cream and decorated with candied fruits and almond. This was the time to eat it. And, as China could find, it tasted great!
"Ow!" He protested, and took something out of his mouth. A figurine of an angel?
"You found the figurine! That means you're the king in this house!" Spain explained.
Along with the roscón, in the box, came a paper crown, which he ceremoniously placed on China's head. He did it in such a funny way China couldn't help giggling and taking selfies to share in his social media.
"Shit! That means the bean is still out there!" Spain cautiously opened his portion to look at the cream filler.
"What happens if you find the bean?" China asked.
"You gotta pay for the next roscón!"
Thank goodness, the bean had to be in what little remained of the roscón, which they would eat for breakfast. It was a long and tiring day, so they went to sleep as soon as their spread settled a little in their stomach. Spain left three glasses of whiskey, the candy they collected on a bowl and water and lettuce for the camels; he also polished his best shoes and placed them under the Christmas tree—China imitated him. He would have slept on the sofa but Spain insisted that he wouldn't allow any guest of his sleep in there, and left him his own bed.
China normally fell asleep quickly, but that night...His eyes were kept open for a long while, turned to the window, expecting to see...what?, feeling...wasn't it silly?
He fell asleep at some point. When he woke up, it took him long to remember he was not in his house, what day it was.
Daytime!
He wasn't a lazy guy who liked to stay in bed for long but that day, that day he hopped out of bed, ran like he was in the Olympics towards the living room.
"Spain!"
Spain jumped. "Wha-?!"
His eyes and China's turned immediately towards the Christmas tree in a corner. The three glasses were empty, and the water, the lettuce, the candy were gone. In exchange, the shoes were filled with all kinds of sweets and banknotes. Not to mention the presents all around.
The two nations exchanged a look, then darted towards them.
"Hey, the Kings knew you'd be here tonight, there are presents for you!" Spain said, giving him those he found with his name written on them.
Sure this was Spain's idea. That was probably why he wanted to sleep on the sofa, where he couldn't see him set everything up.
China eagerly ripped the wrap. He gasped.
"I've wanted to play this game for so long...!" He exclaimed, holding it in his hands like it was a treasure. "But how did you...?"
"They're wizards, they know everything!" Spain smiled, and admired the soft touch and warmth of the gloves, scarf and hat he had gotten.
China smiled as well. "Right."
It seems he was a good boy, because there were so many! He grabbed them all and wasted no time. Every time the wrap unveiled its secrets, his mouth opened wide and let out an exclamation.
China had never had anything like this in his childhood. Good thing Spain kept alive the tradition and reminded him that it was never late to go back to those times when he wasn't that old and hadn't seen everything yet, including the cruelty of nations and men.
THE END
May your days be filled with joy, light and things to be excited about. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone.