I own nothing. Written with Aramis Thorongil (Zou Mea)

Lethal Lunacy

One: Whispers of the Heart


Why would I think such things
Crazy thoughts have quick wings
Gaining momentum fast
One minute I am fine
The next I've lost my mind
To a fake fantasy

"Damnit Lu! It's early and I'm tired!" Ling Tong moaned, rubbing his eyes and gently urging his horse after the boy.

"Then you shouldn't be up all night drinking." Lu Xun snapped, clicking his horse into a brisk trot.

"I wasn't drinking!"

"You lie. And besides, you knew we were on patrol today AND you knew that we had to start early."

"I still wasn't drinking." Ling Tong muttered, hurrying after the young strategist. Lu Xun simply rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, their horses stopped, rearing up and whinnying in fright. The two snatched their weapons and dismounted. Their steeds wheeled and rushed off, leaving the two on the road that led into the forest that lay on the border of all three kingdoms. Ling Tong blinked and Lu Xun crossed his arms, trying to hide his confusion.

"That was...weird." Ling Tong said.

"Thank you Mister Obvious." Lu Xun replied.

"Oh shut up Mister My-Wife-To-Be-Is-More-Experienced-In-The-Ways-Of-Sex-Than-Me."

Lu Xun blushed a deep red and quickly turned his attention back to the forest. He slowly walked up the path and cautiously set foot in the forest. His arms were still crossed, and he grasped his sabers tightly. He cocked his head to one side, confused.

"Should I hide your sabers so you don't stab yourself in the face with them?" Ling Tong asked.

"Shut up. I'm thinking." Lu Xun replied, sliding his sabers into their sheaths and crossing his arms again.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes, only because your talking is hurting my brain."

Lu Xun uncrossed his arms and slowly looked around, trying to see past the trees. He took another step.

"Be careful, I don't want to make up a reason for why you died." Ling Tong said.

Lu Xun turned to provide his own sharp retort but froze.

"Did you just hear...?" He asked, color draining from his face as he turned back to the inky blackness of the forest.

"No. Now stop being paranoid and tell me something I can work with." Ling Tong replied.

"I'm not paranoid!"

"Yeah...right."

Lu Xun stopped once more. Now he was sure he heard something. And that something was Lu Meng's voice. Without a second thought, Lu Xun went running into the forest, chasing the voice.

"Lu Xun! Wait!" Ling Tong shouted as the boy-so-named was beginning to vanish into the darkness.

Ling Tong started after him, but the instant he stepped into the forest, he saw his own phantom.

"F-Father?"

Without thinking, Ling Tong went sprinting after the shadowy image of his father.

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Zou Mea pulled one arm across her body, stretching as she walked down the grassy knoll on the edge of Wei territory. She had reached the forest on the border. She had never been inside, and had been warned not to. She stared at it for a moment, leaning on her halberd. But soon, her curiosity took over and she began walking.

A quick flash of a long coat caught her eye.

"Dun?" Mea called.

There was no reply, but he suddenly reappeared from behind a tree, walking deeper into the forest. She ran after him.

Back up on the slope, Xiahou Dun was looking for Mea. He was sure he'd seen her come this way, and he had just seen her when she dashed into the woods---like she was chasing something. He picked up his pace to a run. She shouldn't be going in there alone.

"Hatchling!" He cried.

But there she was, standing off to the right, looking at him.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked.

She suddenly turned her head, as if she heard something, and dashed after it.

"Wait!" Dun shouted, and tore after her.

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"Morning joy ride" was a relative term. Yes, it was morning, and yes Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were out for a ride, but they were still half asleep and not all there. It was a force of habit, something that happened every "whenever they felt like it" or sooner. The trail narrowed and the two dismounted, continuing on walking.

I shouldn't say "walking"...it was more of wandering in a half-conscious daze.

Okay, wandering in a daze, they wandered into the forest on the edge of the border. Only when they had wandered in so far that they would be hopelessly lost, did Liu Bei snap awake.

"Did you hear that?" He asked. Zhuge Liang blinked for a moment.

"No. But I am more awake now. What did you hear?"

"I thought I just heard Guan Yu's voice."

"You're not going crazy on me, are you?"

"I hope not."

"Well...let's stick together and try to find the exit. All is not right here."

Liu Bei nodded, tapping the hilt of his sword. They continued onwards, now more awake and alert than they had been five minutes ago.

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Chapter end!