Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

A/N: So I wrote this story after seeing a picture on deviant art. It showed Japan about to kill China (explained deeper in the story) and the picture just spoke to me. It gave me an idea.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^

Tears streamed down China's face. His palms and knees were on the soil. The salty tears dropped bead by bead, making the soil beneath him muddy.
"China!" Taiwan shouted, crying even harder than China was. She was being held back by a Japanese soldier. Even though she really hated China, she couldn't stand seeing her older brother on the verge of being killed, let alone on his knees.

China was a strong country and one of the first countries in the world. Being brought down on his knees like an animal was very dishonorable. He didn't want Taiwan to see him like this, but what other choice did he have? The Japanese soldier made her drop her choppers. Her arms were restrained and who knows what else might happen to her. China sacrificed his freedom to save Taiwan.

"I made my end of the deal aru..." China says, voice shaking. "Now make yours!" He shouted at Japan.
"Release her" Japan said simply. His dark uniform was covered with the blood of countless victims. Taiwan wanted to run and save her brother, but Japan's eyes said otherwise. She could not afford to be on bad terms with Japan, not after what he had already did to China. Taiwan had no choice but to run off with tears that never stopped rolling down her cheeks.

"I took over Russia so easily, and he's bigger than you. I have his Baltic countries at the mercy of my feet. Just imagine what I could do with you" Japan smiles wickedly and forces China to look him straight in the eyes by holding his jaw with so much pressure that China felt that it would break.

China refused and fought back so that his eyes met the soil. Anything would be better than to look at his eyes, not because they were full of darkness, but because they were full of heartfelt memories.

"You'd rather stare at the soil? Fine. Stare at it." Japan pushes China's face into the soil with his shoe and laughs at his guardian's misery. A soldier beside him warns Japan not to get too carried away. The boss still wants China alive.

"I've had enough fun with this piece of dirt for now. Take him away." Japan says, taking his rifle and walking away. China is pulled up and handcuffed and forced to march into the concentration camp. Unlike the other prisoners, China had a cell all to himself.

He stared at his people through the bars into the prison just in front of his. The men were all standing and there was no place to sit. They were even standing on top of other men who probably died due to torture or starvation. Some woman were shirtless and stood uncomfortably in a corner. The clothes of the people were torn and tattered and did not cover much, but what choice did they have? It's not like there was any room to even breathe and any light to see.

China felt helpless as he stared at his people who were reduced to such conditions. He felt a short sharp pain run down his spine. Then another, and another. Japan was killing his comrades. He could feel it. Why couldn't Japan just torture me and let my people go aru? Why did he have to be so cruel? What happened to the little child I raised who was overly polite aru?

The rusted bars of China's cell slid open with a scream of agony. A man in a suit came in and stared at the country before him.

"This is China? He's such a wimp!" the man bellowed at the weak country before kicking the seemingly lifeless body against the wall. So much life has already been sucked out of that frail body that China felt dead. He wondered why his heart was still beating tirelessly. The bars slammed shut and China sat up and leaned against the wall. The prisoners from the opposite prison lost confidence of escape when they saw their country so badly beaten up.

A soldier entered the room and opened the bars to the other cell and dragged a woman out by the collar of her shirt. She didn't even fight back and allowed the soldier to do what he wanted.

China mumbled weakly "What's going to happen to her aru?". Even mumbling these words left him panting for air. One of the men just shook his head solemnly. Another shock ran down his spine, and this time it felt particularly painful. That woman had died somehow, and because she was at such a close distance to him, he felt a stronger shock as compared to the others. China curled up into a ball to try to contain the agony.

After what seemed like a day of being drained of energy rapidly, his fate has come to meet him. Japan entered the cell, clothed in black with golden buttons arranged neatly down his uniform. He stared at China. It was as if this time China was the innocent child and Japan was the guardian.

The cell stinks of blood and other things but Japan's been so used to the smell of blood from beheading people that he barely notices it. A thin stream of golden sunlight pours through the only window high up on the wall. The sun should just be rising by now. China tilts his head upwards and strains his eyes to see his brother. Japan looked so peaceful so innocent, like the child he found within the bamboo. Yet...how did he turn out like this?

"Just get it over with aru" China pants out, trying to sound brave, but he can't. He's lost too much energy to even speak. It's a miracle that he has not passed out yet.

"Oh but that wouldn't be fun now would it dear brother?" Japan bends forward and holds China's head up by his fringe. He ignores China's screams and curses. Screaming and begging has become music to his ears now. China could not recognise this Japan at all. It was like a demon possessed him and took over his body and left the old Japan screaming for help.

He tosses China's head onto the cold cement floor like a ball. China shouted in agony as his skull made contact with the unforgiving floor. A throb was quickly forming at the side of his head. The chinese man was immobilized from pain and fear. Of all people in the world, of all the soldiers, why Kiku? Was this the God's way of punishing him for being so gullible for taking Japan in and raising him? The Gods play cruel tricks on me some times aru.

"Why aru..." China wanted to snatch those words back immediately, but it was too late. Japan caught every breath of the word.

"Why? You have the cheek to ask me why?" Japan's voice was steadily increasing into a ferocious roar.
"You left me to fend for myself! You let me die in the snow!" the man's voice was loud, but weak.
"You left me to die! and you said you would protect me...What kind of an older brother are you?" Japan sent a swift kick to China's stomach. The elder could taste a tinge of blood on the back of his tongue.
"You left me!" Japan shouted the words. He sounded angry and hurt and in so much emotional pain and conflict. China knew that Japan was silently holding back tears, but it was not professional to cry in front of a prisoner, so he held them back painfully.

"I...I'm sorry..." China mumbled, unable to say anything. He was filled with overflowing guilt upon hearing Japan's words that he didn't know what to say or how to react. Japan aimed a fiery fist at what China thought was him. He avoided it nimbly and soon found out that Japan was actually aiming for the wall behind him.

"I hate you China! I hate you!" Japan punched the stone grey wall repeatedly until his knuckles bled. China crawled into a corner to avoid being bashed by Japan's fury. The elder noticed a glimmering tear glinting in the sunlight for a moment before disappearing and hitting the ground with a soft splatter. More and more little diamonds started to glint in the sunlight before hitting the ground.

Japan felt his knuckles weaken and his knees buckle beneath him. He gave up and let his wobbly knees rest on the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, fists still on the wall. The younger refused to face his sibling with tears still in his eyes. This was definitely the Japan China was more used to.

China crawled over to the now kneeling country, tears unable to stop streaming. He reached a hand out to pat his sibling on the back, but he swatted it away fiercely. Japan had always been a little too strong and proud, especially during moments like these.

The chinese man just sat beside the younger, back to the wall. He smiled at the ceiling, his golden eyes were glowing with a strange form of happiness.

"Why..." Japan whispered. The word hung in the air for a long time before China broke the silence.
"Because I knew you wouldn't die aru. You are the strongest sibling I have raised. You fended well for yourself in the bamboo forest, I knew you could survive in the tundra aru."
"It was freezing..." the younger's words were audible and shaky.
"But you are alive aren't you aru?" China's voice was as smooth and sweet as honey. Japan stopped his silent weeping.
"You were, no, are strong Japan. I knew that from the moment I found you aru. A little blizzard wouldn't have killed you aru. You can stand the cold now right aru?" He turns to Japan with a smile on his face. Japan was completely dumbfounded by what his brother had said. Was he supposed to feel happy that his brother made him stronger? Or even more hurt that he left him without thinking...

"You said you would protect me..." Japan stared at China's golden eyes.
"My heart ached every second you were not with me aru. I kept asking myself, why did I leave aru? I should have went back to save you aru...I did try, but when I turned my head around you were gone aru. I wanted to go to your country with Taiwan to visit you and make sure you were fine, but your soldiers caught us aru. I was so happy when I saw that you were fine, but..." China's voice trailed off. Words were caught in a tangle in his throat.

.

Thick silence filled the room once again.

.

"The sun is rising higher. I need to leave before they realise I am missing." Japan wiped his tears quickly and regained his composure immediately, as if he had beeen trained to do this a hundred times. He made a beeline for the cell bars, locked it shut and headed for his quarters. China put his head on the floor where Japan had just been. It was still warm and China fell asleep within seconds, ignoring the questioning glances in the cell just in front of his.

"Onii-san, when I grow up, I'm going to be as big and strong as you! I'll protect you forever! Just like how you protected me!" Japan smiled at China with child-like innocence.

"You're so cute aru" China says, pinching Japan's cheeks. Japan liked it when China did this. He absolutely loved it when China showed much affection towards him. He felt love instead of neglect. He felt warmth instead of coldness. He felt complete.

"Onii-san daisuki desu" Japan said. He would not and would never leave his Onii-san. He was determined to keep him safe. If he left, it would definitely be for a good cause. He would protect his Onii-san, even if his life depended on it. China smiled at his little bundle of joy.

Suddenly, everything around him vanished into thin air. "Japan! Japan!" He shouted, but his words were quickly drowned out by noises of so many people talking at once. "Japan!" He tried once again, refusing to give up...

"JAPAN!" China's eyes sprang open and he sat straight up. He rubbed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. He was in front of the blood stained wall and right in front of him was a his people who looked like they had eaten a good meal in a few days. The golden stream of sunlight was a little stronger now and provided warm comfort for China. In front of him on the ground, was a small black bowl that looked seemingly empty.

It was outside his cell but just within reach. He walked over to take the small bowl. Upon closer inspection, China realised that it had contained some rice.

"I am sorry, we were hungry and it was within my reach and..." one of the prisoners from the other cell started to explain in a weak voice.
"It is ok aru. Take as much as you want." China said with a smile. He felt life blooming in him after his nap.
"You should take some too. We already have enough to feed ourselves. It's not much, but its better than starving" The man said with a warm voice. China placed a few grains into his mouth and handed the bowl over to the man. Sure he was starving and weak, but his people mattered more. The man mouthed a 'thank you' and began giving out rice to the other prisoners.

"Uh...May I know who brought the food aru?" China inquired.
"The man in your cell earlier this morning" Japan? He brought food? for him? but why? A thousand theories started to run around his mind. He was actually feeding the prisoners to torture them later. He poisoned the rice. He was tempting us. None of them made sense, until one of them surfaced: he was keeping me alive for some reason. His boss had probably wanted to keep me alive for torture later. Yes, that had to be it.

China heaved a sigh of relief and smiled a little to see that his people were at least somewhat well fed. A 'click' resonated around the silent room. The metal door opened with a screech and two japanese soldiers marched in. They unlocked the cell full of prisoners and dragged one out. This time, a frail old man.

"Tell us what you know" the soldier said, a little too dangerously.
"I don't know anything..." the man said cautiously. He was shaking violently with fear.
"LIES!" the soldier pushed him onto the floor. The man landed with the sound of fragile bones cracking. One of them pulled out a pair of pliers.
"If you lie again, I'll pull out your teeth. Now tell me, what do you know?" the soldier threatened again, this time with fury and impatience in his voice.
"I really don't know..." his voice was a full of pain and barely audible. He was definitely bleeding internally. The soldier wiped the pliers on his uniform before forcing the man's mouth open.

"Don't do anything to him aru!" China shouted as loud as he could.
"And what will you do?" the soldier asks, containing a laugh.
"You can do whatver you want to me" China says confidently, even though blood is rushing fast and furiously through his veins that one of them might just pop.

The soldiers directed their full attention to said country and opened the rusty cell door, leaving the man to die.
"Hm you have very nice finger nails" the soldier says with a grin.
"Too bad they will no longer be on your fingers" the other says and presses the pair of pliers into China's thumb, breaking just the tiniest bit of his fingernail. He screams in pain and is only able to watch the beginnings of drops of blood forming on his thumb. The soldiers laughed menacingly at his pain. Just as they were to pull out the rest of it, Japan noticed the open door and entered the cell.

"What do you think you are doing?" Japan demands, even though he has a pretty good picture of what is going on.
"You left the door open and a man here. Did you want him to escape?" Japan's voice was full of anger now.

"Leave" were his final words. The soldiers obediently took the man and left the cell, closing the door behind them. Japan tears a small piece of uniform from his sleeve and enters the cell. He uses it to wipe the blood away from China's thumb. China winces at the pain but is able to tolerate it. Compared to four thousand years of living and trying to survive, this was nothing.

Japan encloses his lips around China's finger, licking the blood off. The odd sensation tickles and hurts at the same time, but none of that really mattered. China's eyes widened at the action that Japan was doing. Why are you doing this aru? Then, Japan tears more cloth off of his other sleeve and uses it as a make shift bandage for China's thumb.

"This will have to do for now, Onii-san. I will bring back a proper bandage when I can" the general stood up, locked the cell and left.

Onii-san...?

Ever since that day, Japan has been helping China out. Like leaving one or two bowls of wet rice a day, defending him from soldiers and making sure that any wounds that had surfaced from his daily beatings were healing fine. One quiet night Japan entered China's cell.

"How is your neck?" he sat cross legged in front of his brother.
"It's fine aru. Just a small scar" China tried to laugh it off, but anyone could clearly see that the wound was still red and sore. The skin around it was delicate and looked like it could tear with a single touch. Japan just sighed.
"I am sorry I could not come in time" Japan said monotonously.
"It's ok aru. At least you came before that soldier cut deeper right?" China was desperately trying to lighten the mood but to no avail. No matter what, he could not make Japan smile. The younger reached a hand out to feel around the skin of the scar. It didn't hurt but tickled. China fought the urge to giggle in front of Japan, not wanting to startle him or make a complete fool out of himself. He focused on Japan's paper like face instead.

So cute aru...like a panda...wait, what? China snapped himself out of his own thoughts and inspected Japan's face closely. True enough, there were two black puffy circles under his eyes, destroying his perfection.

"Have you lost sleep aru?" he asked with concern in his voice.
"Ah, it does not matter" Japan brushed it off like dust.
"It does matter aru! You need to sleep more!" China was a little angry now, after finding out that Japan could not even take care of himself.
"I do not want to or need to sleep" he brushed off the words lightly once again
"It's important aru! How will you work properly if you don't have enough?" the country's words were fierce.

"I am fine" said the calm voice
"No aru!"
"I really am fine, Onii-san" and with these words, Japan smiled for the first time in years.
"At least tell me why you don't want to sleep aru" China asked meekly. He would find an answer no matter what.
Japan sighed. As much as he didn't want to tell him, China was still his guardian and deserved to know.
"I dream about...things" Japan whispers.
"Things? What kind of things aru?"
"Death...of someone I love"
"But why would you dream of that aru?"
"I don't know"
"They say people dream like that because they are afraid of losing someone they love aru"
"I have heard about that"
"They also say that things that happen in real often affect dreams aru"
"I see..." Japan was not taking much of an interest to the elder's words.
"Who have you been worried about?"
"Someone" Japan was starting to worry now.

"Who?"
"You don't need to know who" his voice was a little shaky. His face turned a slight sakura pink.
"You are thinking of that person now aren't you aru?" Japan's eyes widened and his blush deepened. Of course, China had known who this person was all along.
"You are afraid of watching me die, aren't you aru?" the chinese man concluded.
"Y-yes" a mere stutter came out from the man.

China moved closer to Japan and gave him a long tight hug. Japan's eyes widened for a moment but he could not move. He felt every fiber in his being sing harmoniously to accept this action. China felt as if he were complete, that he was one with Japan again. The young boy and his guardian stayed this way for a long moment in silence.

"Sleep aru" was all China had to say. Japan rested his head on China's lap and closed his eyes. It was odd but sweet all the same. They didn't feel awkward at all, just complete. Japan felt as if the heavy burden on his chest had disappeared completely and China felt like he had regained himself in some way. China kissed the top of Japan's forehead, making the light blush return across his cheeks China just smiled and fell asleep, leaning his head against the wall, thinking of happy thoughts and sweet dreams.

"Take the prisoner away!" a loud man boomed, waking China from his peaceful slumber. His eyes sprang open and he scanned his surroundings. A large man in a suit stared at China's soul through his golden eyes. What's happening? his thoughts are in tangles and he couldn't make sense of what was happening. There were japanese soldiers in his cell but he was not being grabbed and taken away.

In that instant, he recalled the events of the previous night. His lap felt warm but light. China looked up and saw the soldiers take a groggy Japan away roughly by the arms. China's eyes widened so much that all the moisture dried immediately, making his eyes sting.

"NO!" he was on his feet immediately.
"Should we take the other one too?" one of the soldiers asked his superior.
"Sure, why not?" the man in the suit was hiding a sly grin.
"Execute them. I don't care if they are countries. One for treason and the other for whatever reason you can think of" and with those last words, the man left the room.

China struggled to break free of the soldier's iron grip but he could not. Even though he had been eating a little everyday, he was still too weak to fight back. Japan on the other hand didn't seem like he was fighting back. He was obediently following where the man took him.

"Japan! Don't give up aru!" tears were threatening to spill out of the man's eyes. The soldier gagged him, not wanting to hear his voice. They were led to a beach with wooden poles sticking upwards out of the ocean. The soldiers tied their wrists tightly behind the poles. One of them ungagged China and the other tied blindfolds around their eyes. They were facing the shore. The waves were sweeping lightly at their ankles and the rising sun behind them was warm and friendly.

"Today, you will see two prisoners being executed. It is your lucky day to see a general being executed..." the soldier was giving a speech to a bunch of people, probably his students.

"Onii-san, do not worry" Japan said as calmly and as softly as he could. A thousand questions were running through China's head right now.
"I will demonstrate. Ready," the soldier's voice was loud and absolutely terrifying.
"Once they shoot me, someone will come to save you" Japan's voice was a low whisper now.
"Aim"
"But what about you aru?" it took all of China's will power to not shout those words out.
"Fire!" a gunshot was heard followed by the sound of drops of liquid dripping into the ocean. China's mouth hung open but no words spilled out.

More gunshots were heard. People were shouting vulgarities in japanese, most of which China could not make sense of. People were screaming. Sounds of dead corpses hitting the sand were loud and evident. People were running around. China felt his wrists loosen and his blind fold taken off. Someone was tugging his wrist and making him run as fast as he could out of the water and across the shore.

Everything was a blur. Patches of red filled the sea. Uniforms were soaked with crimson. A black figure lay motionless, face down with waves lapping over it.

Japan...?

China couldn't see. His vision was blurry from the sudden brightness of the sun and the fact that he was running made everything worse. He could only follow wherever this person was taking him, and hope for the small possibility that Japan may still be alive...

A/N: Hello again! I was planning to make this a one shot but seeing as to how many words they are, I decided to make this a two shot o3o

What do you think will happen? Leave me a review when you're done ^^

I apologise for any mistakes or odd sentences you may find -bows-