In the bamboo woods

Never alone again

It was dark in the high bamboo woods. 

The sun had sunk more than three hours ago and the night was without the shine of the moon and the stars.

The animals that lived here had gone to sleep and the only ones outsides were the creatures of night - some bats and a lonely leopard with shining eyes could be seen.

A little girl sat there out in the darkness although it was not at all a place for a child like her.

She wore a light pink dress with a few flowers on it and her brown eyes seemed a little angsty.

Her hair was a mess from the wandering in this unfamiliar place and she sat in the corner of four trees, her little head propped with her hands. It was not that cold out there but it was also not really warm and because the girl knew the climate of her tropical island, she shivered.

Her knees were pulled close to her petite body and her gaze flew from left to right and back to the left side.

She was afraid of the wild animals for she was only used to some birds and little kittens. But the bats did not sing. They only fluttered and screamed with a high voice. Their little bodies were in a massive swarm that casted huge shadows and it was their movements that scared the little girls like hell.

From now to then she let out a wince and wrapped her arms more tigh to her chest.

When a black silhouette appeared right in front of the just four years old girl the child let out a low and terrified scream.

"Na, what's with you, little one?", a soft voice asked before kneeling on the ground and looking closer at the girl. She recoiled immediatly, staring at him with frightened eyes but in the moment she met the dark brown, friendly eyes of the young men she bursted into tears.

A warm hand reached for her and those soft eyes became even more tender. "Hush, hush."
For China it was nothing new to meet young nations like Taiwan all on their own in the old bamboo woods. It was like they were simply dropped there by some unknown might.

He had adopt the little Japan just a few years ago - oh he wished that the boy did not made anything worse now. Japan was an adorable and good child, of course, but he was also a little bit selfish and did not really take care of his feelings.

But the girl there was a lot younger than Japan back then and her tears made him weak.

He wrapped his arms careful around her so she could free herself if she wanted to. Then he waited for her rebuke but she just sobbed into his shoulder.

A empathic smile appeared on Chinas lips and he stroke the petite back of the infant. 

"You're safe, little one.", he promised and held her a armlenght away from him so that he could look into her troubled eyes."I'll protect you. Alright?", he asked. The girl nodded and yawned.

That made the boy laugh. "Pretty tired?", he pulled her close back again and cradled her.

 In his native language, mandarin, he sung a small lullaby for her, known as the northeastern cradle song:

"The moon is bright, the wind is quiet,

The tree leaves hang over the window,

My little baby, go to sleep quickly...", he continued although the girl was pretty much asleep back then.

Chairly he brought her out of the forests into his house and looked out for Japan.

The boy laid down on the Futon-bed and held in his arm the panda-toy he had given to him a month ago. When he slept he could look so very innocent and cute that the older one wanted to pull him close but he did not want to disturb him. So he laid the small girl down, next to the boy and sat himself to them.

He gazed at the kids and took the girl back into his arms, stroke her hair and leaned himself back against the wall. In his sleep, Japan seemed to realize that his 'brother' was back there and unconsciously he crawled to him. Chinas smile was getting a bit brighter and he let the boy come closer, knowing that Japan would damn himself when he woked up in the morning like that.

China allowed to close his eyes when he had straightened out her dark hair.

"I love you...little ones.", he smiled and sank into the warm embrace of dreams.

A few decades later, for the nation it was nothing more to feel like two or three years, Taiwan playes with her three 'brothers' and her 'sister' Vietnam, on her island. The other girl, not really older than she was, had painted a tiger mask on the small face of the island girl.

The sun was shining bright while the boys, Japan, Honk Kong and Korea, build towers of sand and stone on the beach. China was sitting under the shadows of the palms, his panda sat behind him. He had his flute in his hands and brought it sometimes on his lips to play for them.

Taiwan and Vietnam were in the little forest not five meters away from his adoptive father and grinned her theets.
At the next moment they jumped at China, hissed in joy when the men flinched for a second.

"Girls!", he chuckled and caught them into an embrace. "Let go!", they laughed but enjoyed the closeness with him. Because of him these childs were not alone.

He rescued them.

Saved them from the dark of that lonely bamboo woods.