Inspired by: Moonlight- Yiruma
Characters: Xiahou Ba, Liu Bei, and Sima Ning/Ninglong (Shu OC)
Genre(s): Friendship, Family, Hurt/Comfort
Warnings: Hint of Slash (M/M)
Summary: When Ninglong discovers the truth behind where he came from, he finds himself lost in his own confused thoughts, until a dear friend helps him put these relentless thoughts to rest.
It was a peaceful spring night at Baidi Castle, as what little was left of Shu now rested within the walls of the palace, aside from one young man who strolled through the gardens. He stopped under one of the blooming Sakura trees and gazed at the full moon above. The young man, Ninglong, was bothered by something he had been told not too long ago by his deceased lord, something he never expected to become such a hindrance to his mind.
Liu Bei had called Ninglong into his quarters, stating he had much to explain to him. The younger Lieutenant thought he would explain what the other aged warriors had explained to him already: His son would take over the kingdom after his death and he would be in charge of guarding him along with the rest of the younger soldiers of Shu to lead the new generation to victory. He never expected the words he actually heard from the man he served under honorably for his honesty and morals since his youth.
"Do you still wish to know about your parents, Ninglong?"
The question had caught the young man off guard as he locked eyes with the other, pondering whether or not his lord was simply toying with him but he nodding in response all the same. The injured lord softly smiled as he gestured for the other to approach his bedside. Ninglong does so, quickly moving to his lord's side and cautiously sitting on the edge of the bed when gestured to do so.
"I promised your mother when the time came that I would tell you the truth about your birth, about where you came from and who you came from," Liu Bei explained, being interrupted by a short coughing fit before continuing. "And I believe now would be a better time than any to tell you."
"Then please, tell me what you know, my lord," Ninglong pleaded.
"Both of your parents were honorable warriors in their own ways but your mother…she was always the one who shined the brightest in battle. She was very moral and loyal towards her kingdom and continued to serve her lord while caring for you after your birth." Liu Bei stated. "As dedicated a mother as she was a warrior; I had always liked that in her, even if she was the enemy at the time."
"Enemy?" The Lieutenant gasped. "You mean she wasn't from Shu?"
Liu Bei shook his head, settling another coughing fit before continuing. "No, Ninglong, your mother served under Wei at the time you came to Shu. She brought you here to ensure you would grow up into the young man you have today. My brothers and I swore to protect you and watch over you with our lives, to keep you from harm whenever it was in our power." The lord looked up, finding a pair of silver eyes gazing at him, begging for the answer.
"Who was she, my lord?" The young officer asked.
Liu Bei weakly chuckled as the young man's features contorted in confusion. "It's not who she was, dear Ninglong, it's who she is." He looked up at the young man with a gentle smirk. "Your mother is Zhang Lan."
"Zhang Lan?" Ninglong gasped. "The Majestic Lotus of Wei?" Liu Bei nodded, confirming the other's inquiry. "But why did she bring me to your kingdom? What reasoning did she have to take me so far from home only to return to Wei?"
"She was protecting you, Ninglong," Liu Bei explained. "From the one person she knew could bring harm to you at such a vulnerable time in your life, someone who had more control over her than anyone else knew, someone she has unwillingly served under for a long time now."
"Who?" Ninglong inquired. "Who would be so powerful that they would force my mother to hide me, abandon me in fear?" Liu Bei became hesitant, wondering if the truth would be good for the young Lieutenant. "Who is it?"
Liu Bei sighed heavily before looking back at the young man. "Sima Yi. That was why he was so relentless in his previous attacks on our forces while Wei was still in power. He was looking for you, and it seems he has discovered where you've been hiding for so long."
"But why does he wish to have me killed? Where does he benefit from my death?" Ninglong asked. "What aren't you telling me, my lord?"
"He benefits from your death because he is hiding a mistake from long ago."
"A mistake? What do you mean?"
"Ninglong," Liu Bei sighed, locking eyes with the young man beside him. "Sima Yi…is your father."
Ninglong had heard bad news before in his life in Shu, he had cried over the deaths of many friends within his green clad family, he had become enraged from the news of his allies being defeated by his enemies across the country. This news however invoked new emotions within him, some of which he wasn't very familiar with himself, ones that puzzled him more than anything. That news had been given to him just a week ago, the night before his lord passed from his injuries, and he had never cried so hard in his life. The man had been like a father to him, just as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had been before their demises in battle, and what they spoke of that night would never left his mind. That was why he wandered through the gardens now, trying to solve the emotional puzzle he had been left by the man he considered a father during his childhood, a childhood he now knew was chosen by his mother to ensure his safety from his cruel ruthless father. As he leaned against the Sakura tree, his thoughts wandered to the many times he had clashed with who he now knew as his half brothers, recalling the sheer fury he developed towards the two over time that was now being questioned where he stood.
He didn't notice the figure approaching him from the castle, being lost in his own thoughts until he is pulled from them by sudden contact on his shoulder. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, finding a familiar swordsman at his side as his dark green armor shined in the moonlight.
"Zhongquan, what are you doing up so late?" Sima Ning tiredly asked as he turned his head to look up at the other warrior, who stood only a few inches taller than himself.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Xiahou Ba chuckled. "You're never the kind to be up in the middle of the night while everyone else is resting." The armor clad warrior then noticed something in the other's eyes-a confusion looming under several nights of fatigue and worry. "Is there something bothering you, Ninglong?"
"It's nothing you need to worry about, my friend." The Lieutenant murmured, returning his gaze to the moon. "Don't let my problems become your own so easily."
"You don't know me as well as you should." Xiahou Ba sighed as he shook his head. "I'm not one to simply leave my friends when worry clearly shows itself on their faces." The Sima glanced away, trying to hold back the urge to cry as the other tightened the grip of the hand on his shoulder. "Please, Ninglong, tell me what is bothering you so."
Sima Ning glanced towards the other, knowing all too well that the older Xiahou boy was as stubborn as his father, he heavily sighed before speaking. "I've recently come upon information of my true origin, of where I came from, and it bothers me even now."
"What are you talking about?" Xiahou Ba inquired.
The Lieutenant gently brushed off the hand on his shoulder then carefully took a seat at the base of the tree, softly chuckling under his breath as the other soon joined him with a clumsy clunking of bulky armor. "Do you remember the evening Liu Bei called me to his room, they day before he passed away?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"
"It has to do with everything, Zhongquan," Sima Ning explained. "Liu Bei told me everything that night: Who my parents were, where I came from and why I was left in his care as a child."
"Left in his care? You were abandoned?"
"Not exactly, friend, I was brought here so that I would be safe from my father. My mother couldn't protect me within her own kingdom, so she brought me here to be guarded by the warriors of Shu and to hide me from my father."
"Okay, then who were your parents?" Xiahou Ba asked.
"My mother is Zhang Lan." Sima Ning stated. "And my father…is Sima Yi."
"What?" The other gasped. "Zhang Lan and Sima Yi? I never would have imagined…"
"It is strange but though I know the truth now, after all these years, yet I still find myself confused from it all." The Lieutenant confessed. "I was born in Wei but raised in Shu. My parents were both noble warriors of Wei and now serve under Jin, where you previously served. The family I now know of is my greatest enemy and the last one I considered my father within Shu is now gone. I feel like a lost pup alone on the streets, unsure of where to go or what to do." He held his face in his hands, feelings tears burning in his eyes. "I'm not sure what to do."
The Sima tried to hold his tears back, soon finding himself pulled into an embrace by two strong arms. He looked up at the one beside him, finding his iconic helmet was now gone, allowing him to see the dark brown eyes and short messy brown hair always hidden behind the protective headgear. The Lieutenant timidly glanced away, feeling his cheeks begin to burn as tears leaked out, the tears soon being flicked away by cool plated fingers. He shuddered under his breath as the cool fabric of the armored hand engulfed one of his heated cheeks.
"There's no need to be upset, Ninglong," Xiahou Ba quietly murmured, softly smiling as the teary grey eyes of the other looked up at him. "No matter where you truly come from, you're a true Shu warrior by heart. You've been raised under Shu morals, you've fought under Shu to protect Liu Bei's dream of a peaceful land and you've cheered in battle with the others of Shu when victory came into your favor as your green battle flags flew high above your fellow warriors. Your parents may be of Wei morals but you'll always be a warrior of Shu, and I'm sure your mother wouldn't want it any other way for you."
The smaller boy sadly smiled before nuzzling into the neck of the other, tears continuing to flow as the larger soldier comforted him. With his thoughts now clear, the exhaustion from several nights of endless reflection with little rest finally engulfed his mind and sleep soon followed as he rested against the armored form of his friend. Xiahou Ba sighed in relief, glad to find his friend no longer in emotional turmoil, finding it rather adorable how the small Sima boy fitted well against his body as he slept. He glanced up towards the full moon, noticing a shooting star blazing through the sky and smiled at the fateful sign. After retrieving his helmet, he carefully picked up the small Lieutenant and carried him into the castle, knowing now that when Shu and Jin clashed in the near future, that there would be one less Sima among those of Jin.