Guan Yinping: Court and my Father

-A Fanfiction by ReinaSleeper

Author's Note: Heya guys! Long time no see. I've been leaving this account in the dust for an eternity. Anyhow: for this story, it is set in the WO universe, but contains new characters from Dynasty Warriors 8 and Samurai Warriors Chronicle 2nd. It takes place sometime after the second defeat of Orochi. All characters use their DW8 appearances.

DISCLAIMER: Warriors Orochi, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors all belong to KOEI-Tecmo. The author only retains ownership for her OC in this work of fiction.

"Yinping…Yinping!"

I jolted up in bed, my hair all over my face. It had to be one of my brothers, but my mind was too muddled to tell whose voice it was.

I raised a hand to brush away my long tresses. As soon as I did so, the morning light penetrated my eyes and I squeezed them shut in reaction. After a while I opened them again, finding myself lying alone on my bed.

"Yinping, it's almost noon! Are you awake yet?"

Now I knew who it was: my third brother Suo. Father must've sent him to fetch me.

"I'm awake!" I shouted back, scrambling from under my bedcovers. I rushed to get my usual attire and accessories. "Just tell Father and the others to wait for a little while. I'll join them in a second."

"We'll be at the Main Court. See you there!" A number of swift footsteps signified his leave.

I hastily combed by hair, ignoring the painful tangles and knots. I clipped in a few flowers and slipped on my green bodice and red skirt. I gave my black forearm gloves a good tug to set them in place. Lastly, I put on my light dull-green shoes.

I waved to my reflection in the mirror and ran out the door.

I knew the way to the Main Court. My Father and brothers had taken me there for thousands of times, ever since I was a three-year-old toddler. It was where my Eldest Uncle met with the various generals and officials in his staff, discussing the matters of my home kingdom.

My feet raced on the stone-paved pathways, driven by my curiosity. What called for the presence of my entire family at Eldest Uncle's court?

As I sped, I began to hear a rhythmic clattering on the tiles of the surrounding wall-tops.

"Whoa, Yinping—slow down a bit!" A familiar voice called out to me. Shortening my steps into a jog, I raised my head, just in time to see a foxy face grinning at me from above.

"Hey there, Da Li," I said, already beginning to pant. "Where did you come in?"

"You know me, Yinping. I'm the Mistress of Randomness!" She winked at me, ceasing not to keep up with me on all fours. I giggled inwardly at the new title she had bestowed upon herself. She was always making things up.

The two of us kept together for some time until she made a sharp turn and launched herself onto an adjacent roof. She was going to take one of her "top-side" shortcuts.

I secretly sighed, longing to climb and jump rooftops too.

It was already high noon when I finally reached the wide stone platform before the Main Court. I made a final turn for the steps leading up to the gates, only to run headlong into a tall green-clad figure.

The two of us toppled on top of one another, and I heard the sound of armor meeting marble. My eyes got woozy from the sudden halt. Shaking my head to clear them, I looked again. A somewhat surprised but smiling face was returning my gaze, framed by silky locks of hair and a green headband.

"Brother Xing?" I blinked and felt myself flush. "Oh, Xing, I'm so sorry for knocking yo—"

"It's alright, Yinping," he chuckled, gently putting a stray strand of his hair back in place. "What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?"

We both laughed as we got back up.

"Come on, Sis. We're all waiting for you." He placed an arm about me and we began climbing up the tedious slope of steps.

The inside of the Court was brimming with people. Scholars to one side and Generals to the other, leaving a small carpeted path leading directly to the throne.

My Eldest Uncle was seated on the ornate wooden chair. He was dressed in kingly robes, with intricately decorated armor showing beneath the layers. His green cape was draped behind the chair's back. Unlike most of the rulers in the land he had no beard. His face was smooth, light-colored and handsome, making him look much younger than he was supposed to be.

He stopped toying with the ribbon that tied his hair and gave me a rather playful-looking smile.

"So, Guan Yinping is late to assembly." He straightened himself and stood up, giving me a mock glance of anger. "As dictated by the Rules of the Court, all late coming officials are to be greatly reprimanded unless they have a good reason. Explain yourself!"

I decided to play along. I pulled a face and plopped myself on the carpet in a submissive kneel, trying to look scared.

"The Little Maid Yinping knows she has erred," I whimpered, properly addressing myself in the third person. "She has slept late this morning until noon for cause of fatigue. She earnestly promises to be on time at the next assembly of Court."

Laughter rang throughout the entire room, echoing around the eaves and columns. Eldest Uncle wiped away the tears from his eyes. "Of course you have a good reason. I know better than to be hard on my treasured niece!" He sat back down, gesturing to the Generals' side of the Court. "Go on, dear. Your family is awaiting you."

I felt a warm feeling inside with those words. Sometimes my Uncles treated me as if I were their daughter too.

I got up, bright-faced, and ran over to my Father and brothers. They were seated closest to Eldest Uncle.

Brother Xing was already there, along with Ping, Suo, and of course my Father. He towered over all the other Tiger Generals next to him, even my stout Second Uncle. He was majestically clad in full warrior's gear, with an emerald-green helmet crowning his head. Most eye-catching of all was his beard; it hung almost to his waist and was extremely lush and well-kept.

He passed me a grin for my performance and patted me on the head. He did that with every one of us except for Ping. He was the first and oldest, and for him my Father always messed up his hair. That was why his hair never seemed to be combed.

"So, assembled officers, it seems a year of peace has finally blessed the kingdom of Shu." My Eldest Uncle spoke, with deep intonation in his voice. "I am glad to know that this peace may last for many a time to come. We have finally repressed the last of the Serpent Army with the help of the noble Tokugawa. They have since repaired to their former land, but their leader Lord Ieyasu has promised me to return at some point and establish a joint rule between his territory and ours."

Whispers of pleasant surprise resounded among the court-members.

"In other words, it means that one day the Shu will be part of the Tokugawa, and the Tokugawa will be part of Shu. We shall be united into a true realm of amity and virtue!" Eldest Uncle stood up, and waved his right hand in a dramatic display of his emotions.

The whole Court cheered with a sea of raised fists.

"Long live the Tokugawa! Long live Shu!"

My ears were almost deafened by the sudden roar, but I joined them nevertheless. Who's not to cheer when you hear such good news?

"Does that mean that Lady Ina and her Father would soon come back?" It was Da Li. Everybody looked up to see her perched on a stand beside the exit. "Oh boy, I haven't heard from them in a long time!"

Everybody laughed.

"Yes, your friends are bound to return, Da Li," Eldest Uncle said with a beam. "But Lord Ieyasu has said that he will be coming to us with a few more of his elite officers. Which means we will be seeing some new faces!"

Da Li gasped with delight. "REALLY?"

A "Yes!" came as the answer, and she yelped, somersaulting off the stand for excess of joy.

"Aw yeah! More new friends!" She cartwheeled into the center and did a pirouette. Some of the officers pointed, and others put their hands to their mouths and giggled. My Eldest Uncle had sat back down with his eyes closed, a bemused expression on his face.

"Oh, Da Li." General Zhao Yun spoke, obviously shaking his head. "You're the very picture of enthusiasm."

She showed him an almost maniacal grin while she did a single-handed hand-stand. "That's it, Zilong! I'm the spirit of crazy enthusiasm incarnate!"

There she went, another new title added to her list.

"Whoa!" Da Li was getting too much into herself. She teetered and fell over on her back with a thud, cueing a universal roar of laughter in the Court.

"Indeed the spirit of crazy enthusiasm incarnate, my young vixen, but you must not get too wild." A calm man suddenly stepped out of the chaotic din. It was Zhuge Liang, Eldest Uncle's chief strategist, who had devoted his great intellect to the many battles Shu had fought and won. As usual he had his feather fan in hand, slowly waving it to and fro. "You almost hurt yourself. Please be careful even in your glee."

"Aw, she was just enjoying herself," said my Second Uncle, whose voice was always the loudest. "Don't dampen her attitude!"

"It's OK. Master Kongming is right," said Da Li, hastily getting herself back up. She returned to her stand by the exit with an awkward smile, rubbing her sore back.

"It is true that Lord Ieyasu will be bringing more of his ranks to our alliance," continued Master Zhuge Liang. "And most notable among them are three warriors of excellent skill. There is Master Yagyu Munenori, the famed swords instructor; Lord Todo Takatora, the overseer of castles; and of course Lady Ii Naotora, the head of the Ii clan."

"A female clan leader?" General Zhao Yun's interest was piqued. "I have heard that in their land women are supposed to be subservient to their consorts."

"Indeed the likes of her is a rarity, but she is a skilled leader nevertheless." Master Zhuge Liang paused for effect. "Those three will surely make our joint sovereignty even stronger in all aspects. With their help, we will be able to hold equal with the pact of Cao Cao and Oda Nobunaga in the North, and the fellowship of Sun Jian and Hojo Ujiyasu to the East."

"Always thinking about the strategic stuff, eh?" My Second Uncle chortled. "So the land is again divided into three powers after all. Of course, not without a few renegades getting pushed here and there."

"One thing is for certain," Master Zhuge Liang concluded. "This world is left to our kind. We will no longer be troubled by the likes of the Serpent Army."

A question suddenly came to my mind. Trying to get myself seen above the height of my Father and brothers, I raised my hand up high.

But I was still too short! My raised hand only reached the tip of Brother Ping's hair. I jumped, but only a few fingers showed above his figure. I felt myself about to resort to another childish tantrum.

It was Father who saved me. It seemed he saw my intention, and the next thing I knew I was rising above all my brothers' heads. He had given me a boost! The platform on which the throne stood was now clearly in my view. Both Eldest Uncle and Master Zhuge Liang turned to look at us; it was hard to tell whether they were staring at Father or me. I saw General Zhao Yun and a handful of other officials raise their eyebrows, but again it was Father who broke the silence.

"My daughter wishes for her opinion to be heard," he said. "Her height denied her attention."

A muted "Oh" was heard among the crowd. Eldest Uncle nodded with understanding. "What do you have to say, my niece?"

I sensed a hundred or so eyes gazing at me. I took a deep breath.

"When will Lord Ieyasu and his forces come?" I asked.

Eldest Uncle cocked his head and scratched his chin, since he didn't have a beard to stroke. "Hmmm…probably in a month's time, perhaps. What do you say, Kongming?"

"A month and a week longer, that is most plausible. His move would be a great migration and would require sufficient preparation time."

"So we'll say about a month," said Eldest Uncle. "Not a long wait, actually. It might take a little more for him to arrive considering the obstacles along the way; but I'll make sure that all Passes within Shu will grant him a path to our capital. Oh, and Yunchang, you may lower your daughter now. I hope she has gotten the answer she sought for."

I felt myself sink back to the ground among my brothers. I looked at Father. "Thanks for the lift," I said.

His thin Phoenix eyes were glowing with fondness. "I'd do anything for you," he replied, quietly.

That was the gift of being his daughter: I got to see a side of him that most people didn't see. My Uncles saw him as a loyal brother, the other Shu generals respected him as a mighty warrior, and the various vagabonds out there in the wilderness were fearful of his wrath. I and my brothers had the privilege to call him Father. But towards me, he wasn't the stoic, high-set man that most people believed him to be; he was entirely different. That was an aspect of him that not even Ping, Xing or Suo saw. I was the sole witness.

I remembered one time when I asked him:

"Why are you so serious with my brothers? Why not me?"

He had paused, his hand straying to his beard. A moment passed before he collected his thoughts and knelt down to me—since at that time, I was about 9.

"All fathers have higher expectations for their sons, because sons carry on the work of the family and pass their skills to their own sons. They keep the legacy of a clan strong. As for you, my daughter…"

He trailed off, as if he couldn't find the right words to put it.

"…You'll know one day, when you grow up. Sometimes I feel that I treasure you more…"

The Court broke up, and as I went outside, I realized that it was already late noon. I began to hear a growl coming from my stomach.

Da Li came striding up beside me without warning. She gave her upper body a good stretch, her five furry tails trailing behind her.

"One month until Lord Ieyasu comes…what will I do to pass that time?" She sensed that I was looking at her. "Oh, Yinping, I've got to tell you: your performance at the beginning was pure gold!"

"I was just playing along to Eldest Uncle's joke," I said, shrugging. "Hey, wanna come and get some food?"

"Food!" Exclaimed Da Li. "My, now that you speak of it, I'm so hungry I can eat a meat bun the size of Red Hare!"

I laughed. "I'm just as famished as you are. Let's go and get something to fill up."

We started down the steps and caught up with a group of departing officials, among them my family and Uncles.

Second Uncle chuckled and patted my head. "You're learning to speak up for yourself in court, eh?"

"Next time, Yinping, come out and do a formal address to Uncle Liu Bei. It'll save Father the trouble of lifting you up," said Ping.

"It's alright," said Eldest Uncle. "She's still young, but I would appreciate a proper address next time."

It was then that I began to feel a little embarrassed. I was already a little lady. Why didn't I do a bow and clasp my hands in the warrior's way? I had made myself seem like a 5-year-old.

Second Uncle guessed at what I was thinking. "Don't feel bad, Yinping! It may have made some of the officials look funny at you, but they know you're a kid. Besides, Lady Shang Xiang is returning from Wu tomorrow. Perhaps she'll take some time to teach you some manners, no?"

"Lady Shang Xiang? Oh my!" Da Li's eyes widened. "Maybe the wait for Lord Ieyasu and his buds won't be so bad after all!"

I tittered inwardly. Aside from making stuff up, Da Li was notorious for her friendliness. She always wanted to make new friends, even when she already had many. She was so outgoing that sometimes it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I looked at Father. He had his eyes fixed on me for a moment, and then he looked away, into the distance. As we walked across the stone platform in front of the Main Court, I couldn't help but wonder about Father's thoughts. Was it that I was reminding him of something—someone from long ago…?

END