gochuugoku | [024] Audio/Action Ecruteak

[When China wakes, he can see that he's in the Pokemon Center and that it's the afternoon, for the sun is peeking through the blinds. He's on a bed and lying beside him are Li, Cao Cao, and Meimei. Cixi is at the foot of his bed. They all awake when they feel him move. Li and Meimei shout in joy and nuzzle their master's face. Cao Cao nudges China's cheek with his face. Cixi sits up and simply nods at him, meaning "It took you long enough to finally awake."]

[However, when China sits up himself, he feels that there is something wrong. Li and Meimei give him a nervous look before Li takes a hand mirror into his mouth to give to China. The Nation looks into it and his eyes widen in absolute horror. Cao Cao snickers and turns the gear to audio just before China lets out a...]

GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

[Anyone that was tuning in most likely just had their eardrums burst and those within or around the Center will hear China's scream. He screams so loud that he's sure to have a sore throat the next day.]

[OOC: The whole "GRAAAH" thing is a link, just watch the few seconds of the video where China screams... Also, China will be looking different for the next few weeks. And yes, that actually is an official drawing from the creator of Hetalia.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll take your word for that.

Nightmares... plenty of those to go around. Hopefully most people will be able to shrug them off.

I hope so too, aru. Although, mine left me thinking about many things. The typical, "Was it right to do what I did then?", or similar questions.

We've all got more than enough of those moments. Even humans do most of the time.

I know we have, but it's just.... everything was so twisted, aru. To the point where I couldn't tell what was real or what actually happened back in the past.

It sounds truly terrible. I wish I'd been able to do more to get people out of it.

Well, believe me... Getting our souls back was probably the best thing you could do, aru. Or else we wouldn't have woken up from those nightmares.

We would be stuck there. [That sounds much worse.]

I was hardly going to leave people without their souls. I know what people have said about me, but I am not entirely heartless.

Heh, means we must actually have souls.

[China puts on a half smile.]

I remember how tense our relations were, especially after the Opium Wars. Come to think of it, it wasn't just you but the other Westerners as well, aru. However, when I came to Johto, I got to know them better, including you and France.

[China shrugs.]

I would hope so, aru. We wouldn't be the same if we did not have them.

[He winces at the mention of that period in time. It was hardly his proudest moment. It was just easy to forget when caught up in war and expansion.]

Mostly not heartless. I know I can be a bastard at times.

And I sometimes wonder... none of us are heaven bound by traditional standards.

I think we've all had that moment, aru. I'm not proud to admit it, but it's the truth. [And who said the truth was always pleasant?]

France was telling me something similar a long time ago. He believes that there is a heaven, hell, and purgatory for us, aru.

[That makes him raise an eyebrow.]

Oh? He has clung to his religion rather harder than I.

He has definitely clung harder than me too. I am not even that religious anymore, aru.

Oh?

[He blinks in surprise.]

Another thing changing without me, apparently.

You will see for yourself. I can tell you one thing, though, back then, I sure wasn't expecting the future that I am living in now, aru.

It was full of both pleasant and disappointing surprises, but life tends to be like that.

I can assure you that I'm not either. I suppose I shall just have to look upon it as an adventure.

[Because if he thinks about it too closely, he might never recover.]

Life is always like that. I'm sure there will be enough to keep me interested.

[024] Audio/Action Ecruteak

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]