literature

A Headstrong China Ch. 12

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Hughes had to hide his smile as he watched China change out of his clothing and put on the outfit America used to don. As the soiled articles fell to the ground, the gentle butler picked them up and held them.

"Alright Master Yao, no need to make little remarks like that, I know you are not happy with what you are wearing, that's why I am going to get your clothing washed and have it dry in a little while." He went to head out of the room, but then came back. "If you are all set, then I shall see you down in the parlor. I believe Master England is finishing some work in his study, so I will see you down there."

"Sorry I made more work for you." Yao said softly tugging at the cloths he had on now not sure if he looked a mess or if this was right. "See you in the parlor." Hughes smiled, and turned to the door and walked out, with the clothing in hand, he walked down the stairs and headed to the scullery.  China shook his head walked out of the room, looking quite a mess. He headed towards the designated room, but went to stop in the study first, and continued walking.

Meanwhile down in the study, England sat at his desk with his head down focused on some peace treaties, and working on something that America had thrown in his lap. China peaked his head into the doorway feeling bashful now that he had been corrected and made to behave.  

"Mr. Arthur sir, are you mad at me still?" He asked with hesitancy.

England was annoyed, and he knew he would be working into the night. It wasn't until he heard a small voice, and looked up seeing it was China. He put down his pen, and looked up.

"Ah, Young man...well...its nice to see you have changed, although judging from your previous experience with those clothing, I am more than certain you are not happy, but I am sure Hughes is working steadily in making your normal outfit perfect. If you would like, let us go off to the parlor for some tea." He stood up from his desk, and walked around, coming towards the boy. He smiled down. "I am not angry with you Yao, its of the past. Come, shall we?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb you if your working." He said politely, not wanting to make a big deal of the uncomfortable cloths, after all it was better than going round naked he supposed and beyond that Yao felt it was a just punishment for how he had behaved. "I…I can go have tea by myself if you need to keep working." China offered softly but was glad to see that Arthur was no longer angry with him.

Clearing his throat, and then yawning, Arthur saw the young nation looking at him, and mentioning some small talk.

"No, I am not busy China...well...I mean, I am almost always busy with something, but not busy enough not to have my evening tea. Now come, don't be upset, we'll have some tea, maybe Hughes made some almond cookies, and we'll have a nice time."  

Hughes scrubbed and starched. He took the shirt and pants out of the water, steamed them, and then wrung them out. While they hung, he looked around to see if anyone was around, no other staff were in the vicinity. He closed his eyes, and held out his hand, whispering an enchantment and with a whish of wind the clothing were dry. Smiling to himself, he took the nation's outfit, and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. He prepared the tea, and then walked down to the parlor. He laid the outfit over the sofa and placed the tea on a table, and waited for the two nations.

"Alright, as long as your going to have tea too." China smiled and held Arthur's hand, he noticed the older nations did it a lot to him, held his hand. He had gotten to where he liked it, and some times would reach for their hand even before they offered it to him. "Hughes does so much here, I feel bad some times, for making extra work." Yao admitted as they approached the parlor.

"Yes young one, Hughes is incredibly fond of you, and its been a long time since we have had laughter in the mansion. You must remember though, he has done much for you, that is why...and I am sorry to bring it up again, he was very surprised with you abrupt behavior."

"Yes, I-I know I should have done better."  He sniffed slightly, and England continued talking.

"Anyways, ah here we are...oh and look."  England pointed to the freshly brewed tea with almond biscuits and there on the arm of the couch lay Yao's clothing. Hughes stood with a smile.

"Hello Master Arthur...Master Yao. Green tea?" The nation looked up as Arthur exclaimed, and heard Hughes greet them. He blinked.

"B-but how did you?" China questioned pointing in awe at his now clean and dried cloths. "H-Hughes you-you didn't have to!" He sniffled turning his face away to hide his pathetic tears. "After I was so naughty too." He hiccupped again, trying to control himself. It seemed he was more apt to tears as of late in this form.

Hughes walked over to the table and proceeded to pour a cup of tea to the two nations. He set them down on the table between the couches, and then walked over to China. Lifting a hand out, he grazed his cheek, and then laughed.

"Young Master, what kind of butler would I be had I not heeded to the needs of my Masters? Naughty as you might have been, and most likely still will be." He winked. "I am fine with helping anyone out." He took the outfit and held it to China.  "Please, I am more than certain you want to change."

China leaned his face a little into the soft touch of Hughes hand against his cheek, and then reached to wrap his arms round the butlers waist again squeezing him tightly before stepping back and gently taking the garment he bowed to Hughes.

"Thank you so much." He then reached for the butlers hand once more and pressed his cheek to it, showing his gratitude in this manner. In his country this was a sign that you felt great respect to the person and considered them above you.

Hughes embraced the teen back. He suddenly felt like embracing the nation up in his arms, but China was not little anymore. This made him slightly weepy eyed, and while the boy was hugging him, Hughes wiped a tear from his eye.

"Ahem, alright then..." He held the boy's shoulders and directed him to the couch. "Go ahead and change if you like, or go down to the washroom and change, not like Master Arthur and myself haven't seen you in the bare...naughty chap." He snickered and then looked to England.

"Alright Hughes." China nodded and noticed the dampness at the butlers eyes and tried not to feel guilty for growing.

"Thank you Hughes, the tea smells lovely as does the biscuits. On a side note, do you know my schedule for tomorrow?"

"Yes sir, although I had jotted it down earlier in your study, shall I fetch it?"

"No, that won't be necessary, I will take care of it later."

Taking his cloths Yao stood behind the couch and pulled away the scratchy outfit of Alfred's and once he was stripped slowly began to put on his own garments, when he paused part way.

"England, Hughes...I was wondering...do-do you think my little brother Japan...do you think. The reason he got so upset, was because he...he thought we were doing something...naughty?" Hughes and England looked at one another, and then England answered.

"Erm China, whatever do you mean? I am slightly confused. I know Japan was questioning your size, but being naughty? I am sure he was aware of your behavior at the meeting." England sat down on the couch, tsking as he took his tea cup into his hand, holding it up to his lips, pinky out, and took a sip. Hughes stood by waiting and wondering.

"No no...I mean." Yao sighed. The Englishmen, they never liked to talk bluntly so China decided he must be the blunt one. "I mean do you think Japan thought you two were having pedophile behaviors with me? Maybe that was why he was mad?" China suggested as he now tugged up his pants.

England who was sipping his tea suddenly choked and sip out his tea all over the table. He coughed and pat his chest. With a disturbed expression on his face, he looked over at China.

"Yao? Why would you even think to ask that question? Of course Japan does not think like that, and I would like to have you refrain from using that absurd and ghastly word. No activity is ever considered that." He stood up shaking his head, and then looked down at his shirt. "Oh bugger, look at my shirt." He looked at China and Hughes. "Please excuse me, I must change. England quickly went out of the room leaving just Hughes and the nation.

"Yes Arthur." Yao nodded. Hughes looked to the young nation, and cleared his throat.

"Please forgive Master England...I think he was just taken aback by your comment."

"I didn't mean to shock him, its just well you two have not seen some of Kiku's Manga's!" Yao gave a knowing look and then finished dressing and hopped over the couch to sit on his knees. "I know you wouldn't do anything wrong to me." He said reaching for the tea. "But well, if you were ordered to do things more adult things with me, would you have to obey that order?" China asked curiously, wondering how it worked with butlers.

Hughes walked over to the table, bent down and picked up China's cup of tea and handed it to the boy with a smile.

"Young Master...while I am to obey anything my Master wishes, I am not going to follow any orders that will cause bodily harm to a adolescence, or make them feel uncomfortable. Master Kirkland would never order such a thing, and I would personally see that nothing like that is ordered. Worry not young chap."

"That's good." China sighed sipping his tea and snuggling on the couch, "Mongolia never felt that way." He sighed and leaned on the arm of the couch holding his cup thinking about some of those dark times. They made him shiver and curl up tighter.

England stood in his bedroom with the wardrobe open. He shook his head, and pulled out a shirt. Taking off the soiled one, he then pulled the other shirt on. Humming to himself, he was suddenly bothered by a faint green light. He quickly turned around.

"Flying Mint Bunny! What...what are you doing here?" He turned to see the little figment of his imagination. Something that only Arthur saw.

"England, I wanted to see you, and word has it, you have some magic going on here."

"Yes, Minty...its the nation of China...he was mistakenly turned to a Chibi nation, and is growing slowly. He is now a teen, and well quite frankly, he is not happy...I am wondering if there is any chance of him going back to being small." The bunny smiled and flew to him, whispering into the nations ear. England had a smile on his face, as the creature giggled and talked. "Interesting...I might have to ask him." Nodding, the green bunny suddenly vanished, and England went down the steps. He walked back to the parlor, and approached the room. "Um China...I have a question for you young man..."

"Eh…Arthur what is it?" He asked pulling his mind from the place he didn't like so much. England stood looking at the boy, and then crossed his arms over his chest.

"Um...well, listen...um...you enjoy staying with us right? And I know life was so much easier when you were a little nation. What if there was a chance you can turn back? Without all the painful changes you are going through?" Hughes stepped forward and looked at his Master with a strange expression. He had known everything that Arthur did, and was one of the only people who knew about England's magical friends. He only hoped that Arthur was not suggesting something. Before the boy could answer, he stepped in.

"Master? Surely you are not suggesting FMB?" He just stared at the nation with slight confusion. He had never approved of England using magic, and was often against it.

Before China could think Hughes had stepped in and started to talk in a rather secretive way with England. He himself was not sure what he thought about going back to being so small. It was very tempting, but he did wonder what would become of his people if he did do this thing? Still everyone else in his land seemed to be enjoying more of the freedoms that were being allowed by this.

"Will it make me stop hurting and growing?" He asked finally.

Hughes stopped talking, and England stepped forward. He nodded his head, and bit back his lip, but then responded.

"I have some rather strange information to tell you China, and well...I am hoping you can listen and understand. Okay well..."

"Sir...are you sure about this? I don't mean to intervene but..."

"Then don't Hughes...er..." He looked at the butler's expression, and then frowned. "I am sorry old chap, I did not mean to snap at you...I am simply trying to help China." He turned back to the nation. "Okay...um...I have certain friends...magical friends...but...well since you believe in that sort of thing, I would think you would be okay."

England suddenly chanted something to himself, and out of nowhere the little magical bunny showed up. Smiling down, with his wings fluttering. England only hoped China could believe and see this magic.

Seeing the two adults at odds with each other China felt worried, but let England go on. He squinted for a moment after the chant that Arthur had made and thought he could almost see something then he shouted and jumped behind the couch.

"Arthur you have ghosts in your house! I knew you should have become a vegetarian!" He ducked his head and began his own ancient Chinese chants to ward of evil spirits. As he did this, the little mint bunny started to shriek.

"Eeeeeee....Arthur, Arthur please...those chants...that little nation, he is...owwww...Arthur please!" England looked over at China, and then looked to China, and suddenly became worried.

"No! China, please...this is what i was trying to get you to notice. Cease! This is flying mint bunny, and your chants are making it so he can't be in the same room. Please, little one...he is here to help. I am glad you can see him, and I don't have ghosts!" China stopped chanting and peaked over the couch.

"Then he is not a ghost?" He asked hesitantly. He felt worried. England's magic would not work out so well, as it had in the past. "Hughes? Is it a ghost?" He asked not that he didn't believe England, its just well he just wasn't sure he believed him.

Hughes smiled at China, and then looking at the little green bunny making sure he was alright. He then swallowed.

"Little one...this is Flying Mint Bunny...and no he is not a ghost...he is Master Kirkland's magical friend..." Hughes stepped forward and leaned down at the teen. "Much like me..."

"You're…you're magical, but not like the bunny, you're a real person!" China said trying to make sense of things. Everyone could see the butler, and he was not like the bunny who could vanish. China looked up at Hughes with big dark brown eyes full of confusion, "I-I don't understand."

"Poppet...yes okay I am a real person...but I am very, very old...and well magic is a benefiting factor. Bunny, well the only people who can see him are the ones that believe in magic. Even if someone has a very, very slight inclination of a belief in magic, he is around. I know it is hard to understand, but there are many different kinds of magic. I am just more real than him." England watched the two converse and looked to the green bunny.

"Are you okay Minty?" The creature shook its head, and then looked at the smaller nation. "China...I know things in the past have been crazy, but Flying Mint Bunny wouldn't hurt you."

"I see…" Yao said and reached to pet Hughes hand to assure himself that what he knew of the butler was real and true. He smiled and was glad he was able to see magical things. Turning to England now his face returned to the worried expression once more. "But so far Arthur, all your magic has hurt." China said nervously and found himself curling close to Hughes as if he were a good luck charm.

England got down to the boy's height. He nodded because he knew this was true.

"Okay, I understand...it can be a risk, but Flying Mint Bunny is not meant to harm. If you want to decline I understand. Maybe think about it?" He stood waiting, but then seeing the nation hold on to Hughes hand, he stayed quiet. "I will be down in my study, and I have to look into some things." He walked away from the two, with the mint bunny flying behind him. Hughes stood by China and looked down.

"Well my boy...no pressure...you have time to decide. What shall we do in the meantime?"

"I…I don't know its, its so confusing. I…I…" China sighed and put a hand to his head as if it would stop all the spinning questions inside. "Maybe we can do something calming." He sighed not sure what he should do now. He didn't like to upset ether adults these days, and right now either choice seemed to have a down fall to it.

"Okay, okay...that's fine little one. I do understand though, it is getting late. It has been a long day, and I did not mean to suggest something to do quite yet. Are you tired by chance?" He looked over to the clock and noticed it was almost ten at night. The time had flown by, but he did not want to make the child go to sleep against his will.

"I guess I'm a little tired, just confused mostly. What can we do to ease my mind before bed?" He asked Hughes in a voice that said so much about how he was worried to make the right choice, and how much he wanted to become small again.

Hughes smiled down at the boy, he knew what he was getting at, and chuckled.

"How about some milk tea, and I read some old tales to you? I understand your age...and well...while you know I would give nothing more for you to be little again, so this will actually give me piece of mind. Would you like that?" China nodded.

"Yes it would." He sighed, glad that Hughes was so smart, even if it was magic that made him that way. "I think it will help me to calm down, maybe in the morning I can know what to do."

"Very good young Master. Come let us go." He stood up, and waited for the boy. Smiling down. "Go on up to your room, and I will prepare the tea, then I will be up shortly."

China nodded and went to his room. He knew he needed some advice and time to think and not knowing any other better person to talk to, he decided to see if he could summon the spirit of the dragon and see what he had to say. In his room Chins sat quietly cross legged and tried to be very quiet and concentrate.

Hughes stayed in the kitchen preparing the tea and would occasionally check the clock. Once he was done pouring the water into a kettle, he heard the bells ring from England's study. Sighing, he placed everything on the platter and whisked it up, walking down the hallway. Hughes approached the study and stood at the doorway, he then saw that England had his head down writing.

"Sir, anything I can do for you?" Arthur continued writing and then looked up.

"Ah Hughes, a cup of tea please, and if you could go and see what China is up to. I feel like he may need some reassurance."

"Very good sir, actually I was headed to his room before you rang."

"Ah, well then…as you were I suppose." England bent his head, and continued working. Hughes poured some tea, set it down, and then taking the tray walked up to where China was. As he got to the room he first tapped on the door as it was closed, but he did not hear an answer.

"Master China...are you in there?"

China heard nothing, except the sound of wind rushing around his body as the air around him began to glow in a ghostly fashion. Yao gave a short gasp as he felt the spirit he was trying to summon start to appear.

Knocking a little more persistently on the door, Hughes waited for an answer, as he never opened a closed door unless there was an answer, but sensing that there was something the matter, he opened it with reasonable cause. Once the door flew open, his eyes grew wide and he dropped the silver tray. Tea and a plate of almond biscuits slammed to the ground, tea cups and the kettle smashing to the ground as well and Hughes ran and approached China who was engulfed in a iridescent glow.

"Master Yao! Master Yao...are you alright? Can you hear me???" He knelt down yelling at the teen, but unaware if he was being heard.

China's eyes opened but it was not him staring up it was the spirit of the dragon.

"So you are the one that he cares so much about, the one that has made him neglect me and his duties to his country. Can you provide an explanation for why he should remain with you as a child?" The dragon said obviously in control of China's body now.

Hughes looked deep into China's eyes, not knowing clearly if the teen was possessed by the spirit, but hearing the tone, and witnessing the glow radiating off the nation, he swallowed hard and bowed before Yao. Hughes knew the dragon was a prominent figure in China's culture, he sensed it.

"Um...my Lord...why I can not tell you exactly why I have such a bond, the fact of the matter is that this child...this adolescent nation has been the light in my life lately. He has brought joy to both myself and my Master. But I do not wish to withhold his rule if he is needed. And with that, I apologize." He just stared at the glow...and was very much anticipating rejection.

"So you have connected with your Mr. China is it?" The dragon paused as if in thought causing China's own eyes to pulse in a soft reddish glow. "Well then, if you are serious and you really mean what you say, we can devise some tests, to prove it?"

"Please...my Lord...I do not want to cause harm to the boy. These past couple of days have been an eventful time, and Master China did confide in me that he liked being this way. But my question is, will the nation of China be able to survive rule with a small child. I have to say, I miss him most at the ripe age of five. He was just like my Arthur, and then my Alfred...as you can see, I grew attached to both nations." Hughes stood just standing, being gazed through the eyes of the soul that was China. He knew he had to be patient, but he really just wanted to grab up the boy. "Is this power, or what you will do to him...will it hurt? He was very upset with Master England, and I do not want any harm for the boy. Please...will he be alright?"

"Calm yourself, young butler. He shall not be harmed, unless you are to fail in these tests, for they are for you. It is easy to want something, but when challenged for it, that is when most will give up."

The dragon spoke slow and wisely as if he felt these words were some that mortals had a hard time with and that if he spoke very slowly the severity of them would sink in.

"To answer your worries from before, China can rule no matter the age of stature, he is fit. Youth in his form does not change what he is, it only gives him the right to seek out a guide. If you wish to be that for him, I will not appose it. If you can pass the tests that I will send your way, are you willing to take these tests? If you should fail, China could suffer, and will never be able to be young , ever again."

Hughes stood quite perplexed and slightly frightened. He bowed down to the spirit within China, and clasping two hands together, he spoke in a straight voiced tone.

"My lord, I will do everything in my power to make this right. I want him to be happy, and with what he has told me, it was him being my little China." Hughes breathed in deep, and then stood up, hands to his side. "I accept these tests, and I understand what can and will happen if I were to fail. Please...let us get on with it." The spirit in China gave a soft sound and nodded at Hughes.

"I do not rush. The tests will come when the first light of morning appears. For now, both of you must rest. But you must be on your guard. A test like this may attract unfriendly spirits." The dragon then sighed and whispered. "Until tomorrow."

Hughes nodded at the dragon's words. He knew this would possibly a challenge, but he needed to get this done. He watched as the voice faded and the nation slowly returned to his original sense,

With that said the air around China and Hughes whirled and whipped around them until it settled and the spirit of the dragon had left the body of China, who now dropped down to his knees looking dazed, his eyes now returned to there normal dark brown.
Chapter Twelve:

When China is forced to repay his debt from the Opium Wars to England, the nation encounters Arthur's black magic ways, and finds himself shrunk. Hilarity and angst ensues, and with the help of Hughes the butler, time will only tell.

*This delightful story was written with the help of a lovely friend and I thank them kindly. :-)
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MercedesAsheSorrel's avatar
Is it just me or does Hughes seem like a nicer version of Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler? :) Loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D