Disclaimer: I do not own Dynasty Warriors, Koei does.

A/N: This is a repost from a couple of years back. It was deleted on a purge of the category for one reason or another. It is a DW3 fic and it does contain CHARACTER DEATH. So that is your warning. Since I can only assume it was deleted for that reason I am posting it as a Mature fic. That's about the only reason. Nothing has been changed from the last time it was posted.

3/13/10- Put the breaks back in that were dropped in some format change over the years.

Flight of the Phoenix

Chapter 1

The Young Phoenix Emerges

After the battle of Chang Ban, the Shu army takes a moment on the shores of the Chang Jiang to rest and two strangers come to visit.

"So who is she?" Zhao Yun asked as he stood next to his comrades Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.

"Dunno." Fei answered. "She came in with the cloaked guy."

"Why don't you ask?" Guan Yu shot Yun a look that bordered on a dare.

"She's mean." Yun replied.

"How do you know that?" Guan Yu wanted the younger man to go pester the young girl that stood before Liu Bei's tent. It amused him to watch Yun get shot down. She was cute, but very very angry looking. Long straight brown hair, long straight sharp rapier and very long agile looking legs. She wore a little green vest, pants and mid calf boots. On her wrists were bracers and a small shield, she was ready to fight.

Yun straightened up; he was going to do it. He walked up to the girl and she stared at him, with a cold piercing glare. She scratched the little donkey that she as with. "Hello, I'm General Zhao Yun." He smiled his winning smile, the one that always melted the ladies. But she kept staring at him and it was breaking down his resolve.

"So?"

"I didn't get your name." Yun tried again, broad smile and twinkling eyes.

"No, you didn't."

"Okay, well…..that's a nice ass you've got there." He smiled and tried to pet the donkey. Then he heard the roaring laughter from Fei and Yu and realized what he had just said. She turned her head slowly and put her hands on her hips.

"What did you just say?"

"I didn't mean…."

"What's going on out here?" Liu Bei pushed through the tent flap and looked at the pride and joy of the Shu army. Zhang Fei was rolling on the ground laughing while Guan Yu sat next to him crying from the excessive laughter he had just endured. Then there was Zhao Yun who was blood red with embarrassment. Liu Bei sighed, and then realized the young girl was about ready to stare his bravest warrior into a retreat.

"Oh honey, good news! We're going to stay." Pang Tong said as he popped out of the tent.

Zhao Yun watched as the menacing girl suddenly light up with happiness as she heard the odd little man speak. He was horrified when the man actually walked over and kissed her. "Uh…."

"Pang Tong, may I introduce one of my most dependable and valiant officers, Zhao Yun. Yun, Pang Tong will be joining us as a strategist." Liu Bei smiled as he saw the younger man stammer.

"Nice to meet you kiddo." Tong held out his right hand for the Yun to shake and looped his other around the young girl's shoulders. She leaned into him and smiled.

"Yes, a pleasure." Yun forced out

"And let me introduce my wife, Nu Wa."

"Your wife?" Yun let his hand fall out of the weird little man's grasp.

"And my protector, right sweetie?" Tong kissed her cheek and squeezed her affectionately.

"That's right." She smiled and then looked at Yun and her voice went cold again, "So don't get any ideas or I'll skewer your sorry little ass to a tree."

"Now Wa, we're on the same side now. " Tong giggled. "You didn't meet Liu Bei yet did you?"

Wa looked away from the annoying long haired man and over to the commander. She let her smile return. "It's really nice to meet you sir."

"It will be so nice to have another pretty face around." Bei kissed her hand. He looked up at the happy pair and noticed that the younger woman was quite at ease in her husband's embrace. If only Shang could get that comfortable with him, hell if only she could bear to be around him. "How long have you two been married?"

"What is it two years now?" Tong asked his happy spouse.

"Yes, because I was 18."

"And I was the dirty old man at 30." Tong giggled.

"I have a tent ready and you have yet to meet my brothers." Bei smiled and was envious of them.

"Oh we do have to meet the others don't we?" Tong looked over at the two exhausted men on the ground. "Ah, later. They look occupied."

"Yun why don't you show them to their tent?" Bei snuck closer and whispered, "And apologize for whatever you said, dumbass."

"Your tent is over here, by Zhuge Liang and his wife. Have you met them yet?" Yun asked.

"He was a classmate of mine."

"Fortify the stronghold gentlemen, my husband and his friends usually like to argue with lightning blasts across the yard." Wa snuggled up closer as Tong took the donkey's lead.

As they followed Yun to their tent, Liu Bei wandered over to his brothers. "You two are never going to grow up are you?"

"So who are they?" Yu asked as he sat up.

"Pang Tong and his wife Nu Wa." Liu Bei crossed his arms as Zhang Fei sat up.

"Wait, the short little cloaked dude is married to the cute little angry chick?" Fei asked.

"But he's like twice her age." Yu saw Bei cock his eyebrow.

"AND?"

"There's nothing wrong with that." Yu smiled apologetically.

"But that relationship has plenty wrong with it." Fei admitted.

"Thank you again, Zhao Yun." Pang Tong shook the man's hand again as Wa stared him down.

"Well, I'll see you both at dinner then." He smiled and left.

"You two hit it off; I better keep my eye on you and your wandering eyes." Tong chuckled and disappeared into the tent.

"My wandering eyes?" Wa jumped on his back, "I'll show you wandering eyes old man!"

"Easy now, I'm not some dashing young general you can abuse." He let her have her way and he flopped down on the bed. She rolled off him and laughed. He knew his lovely wife never looked at another man; she only had eyes for him. What he ever did to be so lucky, he would never know.

Wa threw his straw hat off his head and played with his short hair. "So how did it go?"

Tong sat up in the bed and tossed off his cloak. "Ehhh."

"Ehh?" She crawled up and kissed him. "What's ehhhh about it?"

"They need more generals. We'll have to keep our eyes pealed." He lay down on the pillows and pulled her down next to him.

"They've got two more now, how many do you want?" She pulled herself closer to him and smiled as he ran his hands through her hair.

"Well, we strategists aren't much for fighting. That's why we bring our wives along."

"Honey, you can fight a hundred times better then Liang with that stupid fan."

"But not half as well as you." He took her hand and kissed her palm.

"That's why I'm by your side, so I can let you concentrate on what you need to be doing." She rolled over on top of him. "I love you."

"I love you too Wa." He smiled as she kissed his neck and began to work his cloak off.

"Ah, Pang Tong you have not had a chance to meet Guan Yu and Zhang Fei yet, have you?" Liu Bei stood as the strategist approached with his wife.

"No, sir, I believe they were indisposed." He chuckled.

"I am really sorry about my slip up." Zhao Yun whispered to Nu Wa across the table.

"You have no idea how sorry you would have been." She snapped.

Yun slunk back into his seat as Tong patted her thigh and scolded, "Now honey, you have to go easy on him. He's Liu Bei's favorite from what I hear."

"Not at the moment." Yun had not so fond memories of last night when he had apologized for not being able to ask for Wa's forgiveness. He just didn't see the right moment and Liu Bei lit into him for it.

"Nice to have you with us!" Guan Yu held out his hand then kissed Wa's hand. "And your presence will be very appreciated."

"Thank you sir." Wa smiled.

"Ditto." Fei repeated the procedure.

"Well Tong, you did make it didn't you?" Zhuge Liang strolled up, robes flowing behind him.

"Hey, Kongming. Long time no see, eh?" Tong embraced his old friend.

"Hello again Wa." Yue Ying touched the younger girls shoulder.

"Good to see you again Ying." Wa gave the girl a hug. "What are you looking at?" Wa growled at Yun.

"Nothing…" he averted his eyes as Guan Yu laughed.

"Don't mind him, he tries to hit on everyone." Ying nudged Wa's arm.

"Well I didn't appreciate it." She was distracted by Tong pulling her into him.

"Let's eat huh?"

"Yun, could you go remind Shang that I'd appreciate her eating with us?" Liu Bei knew it was a horrible job, but Yun was really high on his shitlist right now.

"So then Bei jumps in the middle of it, and the three of us are wailing on him. I mean wailing." Fei was illustrating with his chicken legs. "But Lu Bu was just that good, and none of us even touched him."

"That was impressive, I have to admit." Guan Yu nodded.

"You should tell them about how you beat Lu Bu, honey." Tong smirked.

Wa caught the surprise looks on their faces. "He was my brother's friend, back in Luo Yang." She explained.

"We really don't know much about you my dear." Liu Bei smiled, "Kongming had already filled us in on your husband."

"Same old story really. Our village was attacked and burned and my brother and I went to the capital because there really wasn't anything else we could do. So he got a job as a clerk and I started training under Hua Xiong, part of his capital defense force." Wa smiled as Tong rubbed her hand.

"That's where we met, Luo Yang." Tong winked at her.

"Your brother is Fu Xi, isn't he?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, completely quiet until that very moment.

"How…" Wa couldn't hide her surprise. The Wu princess had made it very clear that she didn't like the current arrangements with Liu Bei.

"He joined Wu after Xia Pi. My father convinced him to join us, just as Zhang Liao was wooed by Cao Cao. He is actually really close friends with everyone there, including me." Shang returned to being quiet.

"So what about Lu Bu?" Fei was interested and didn't notice the heavy amount of tension between the two women.

"He was my brother's pal, and you know how guys usually treat their friends little sisters. He thought it was part of his duty to look out for me and tease me like Xi. Then Xi thought it was time to find me a husband and Lu Bu decided to help. He pushed Zhang Liao and Dong Zhou pushed Hua Xiong. Then Niou Fu snuck himself in there for some reason, I don't know why. I wasn't interested, which didn't mean any of them went away. But when Tong and I met, I was in the market wandering. Lu Bu rode up and started to push Liao some more."

Tong interrupted. "I'll tell it better from here. I was at the well, getting a drink when this all started. You can all see how my darling can get when she's irritated, ehh? Well she got downright mad with Lu Bu and he only thought it to be funny. So Wa takes out her rapier and swings at him, and he laughs and retaliates by throwing her headpiece in the well. So my little spitfire then turns back to him and slices Red Hare's reins and slaps the stud on the rump with the flat part of her blade. So quick and beautiful, that's my girl. Then off goes Red Hare trashing the market and Lu Bu trying to halt his horse without the aid of a bit. Then she was all mine." He chuckled.

"Yeah, what a nice day that turned out to be." She smiled and kissed him.

"Shang would you like to sleep here tonight?" Liu Bei figured he'd try. He had to keep trying.

"No."

"Honey, we're married now, eventually maybe….."

Sun Shang Xiang put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Maybe what?"

"Maybe we can get along?" Liu Bei smiled, pleading with her.

"I'll always hate you." She pushed past him and left the tent.

Bei sighed. He was getting too old for this.

Tong sat content on the hill overlooking the Chang Jiang River. Wa came up and sat in his lap, just like she always did. He wrapped his cloak around them both so they could watch the night sky together. "How you doing, my love?" he asked.

"Good, now that I'm with you." She rested her head against his shoulder and neck.

"This ChiBi deal, it's real iffy."

"We gonna make it?" She asked knowing his ability to sense things like that. "Wu going to join us?"

"Yeah, I think so." He pulled her closer to him knowing there was always a chance this would be the last time they had this moment.

Wa knew what he was thinking; she was worried about it too. If she ever lost him…..it would be like losing her soul. He was everything to her and he seemed to be the only one who could make her happy. Then she thought back to that day, in the market…

Fu Xi had just given her a lecture on how lucky she was to have three well respected suitors and how immature she was being about getting married. But she walked out on him, like she always did. Stupid boy, what did he know? To clear her mind she went for a walk in the market, but Lu Bu found her.

"Hey little sister, where are you off to?" He nudged her with his toe.

"None of your business."

"Oh come on, you still mad about getting married?" Lu Bu watched the crowd move away from him and his unruly stallion.

"Need I remind you that you're not my brother and you have no part of this?"

"If it makes you feel better. Come on Wa, I'm trying to help. Think about how nice it will be for you and Xi if you marry the right man? And Zhang Liao is the right man."

She stopped near the well. Lu Bu was annoying, in every way. He was childish and pushy despite being nearly thirty. But Xi thought he was great because he was a man's man. Fun to BS with, great to drink with and the best to fight with. Why he couldn't just leave her alone…..oh that's right he wants his war buddy to have a prize. Good old Zhang Liao. "One big happy family, huh?"

"Yeah, that's more like it. Sure I know you think Liao's a bit old, but he's second in command here. He's my best general, how much better can you get?"

"Not married."

"Look, Hua Xiong had to transfer you because he's competing for your affections. The sooner you choose someone, like Liao, the sooner you get back to your unit. That's what you want right?"

She felt her blood begin to boil. She had been left behind on the march to Si Shui Gate because Hua Xiong was pursuing her. How ridiculous, like she had asked for him to be a horny idiot. Why was she being punished, all she wanted to do was fight. "Go away."

"Make me, little one." He laughed, knowing it would provoke her.

So she lost it and smacked his halberd away with her rapier. He only laughed again, thinking it was cute, and tossed her headpiece in the drink. That did it. She cut through Red Hare's reins, knowing the headstrong stud would be uncontrollable without constant play from the bit. Then to give him encouragement she slapped him on the ass with her blade, and off went Lu Bu at full gallop through the streets of Luo Yang. Frustrated she turned to the well and looked into it as a cloaked guy pulled the bucket up.

"Let's see, did we fish anything out?" he asked. "Errr, no. Looks like it might be lost my lady." He giggled.

"I don't find it funny." She growled. She watched him take off his straw hat and dust mask. He was oddly attractive in a rustic sage kind of way. Plus he did have a great sounding voice, even if he did giggle weird.

"Great." She slumped against the well while he took a drink and let his donkey have the rest. She scratched the donkey's ears, "He's pretty cute."

"Why aren't you fresh? Talking about my ass in public like that. You should be ashamed."

She couldn't help but bust out laughing, scaring the townsfolk around her. To stifle the outburst she put her hand over her mouth only to have the stranger pull it away.

"Don't cover such a pretty smile."

As he took her hand she felt something tingle inside. "My name's Nu Wa."

"I'm Pang Tong."

And thus it began. For the next week while he was in Luo Yang buying odd things he couldn't find back home, she spent a lot of time with him. Between drill practice and her brother that is. Lu Bu had begun bringing Zhang Liao with him to the evening drinking gatherings, so she found it even more enticing to go to Tong's campsite outside of town. Thankfully Xi never noticed, having very low alcohol tolerance. But she quickly found that the zany little sage made her feel like she never had before. She was falling in love. Then she would sneak back to the house after sitting with him and step over the drunken men. But he never made an advance towards her nor did they ever talk about their feelings. Then came the day when he told her he was going to have to head home. He had stayed too long as it was. She felt like her heart had been ripped out.

"So let's go ask this brother of yours if I can take you with me, huh?" He began to lead his donkey through the town.

"What?" She asked, not thinking she heard him right.

"Well kiddo, I love you, you love me. So the next thing to do is get hitched, right?"

"I never told you…" he finally gave her a kiss. Her first kiss, in the middle of Luo Yang, with everyone watching including Lu Bu.

"I don't think he's going to take this well from what you tell me."

"Then we'll do it without his blessing." She couldn't believe this, how could this happen in less than a week?

Not going to take it well was an understatement.

"What?"

"I want to marry your sister." Tong stood and waited for Xi to look at him. He looked over at Wa peeking through the crack in the door.

"Get in line, preferably at the back." Xi filed through his papers.

"Well she actually wants to, so I might as well cut to the front."

"Like hell you will."

Then she felt someone behind her and turned. Lu Bu was glaring at her, he was furious, and he had never been like that to her. She was genuinely scared. Letting the door close she stepped back away from him. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed

"Umm…"

"I try to set you up with one of the best men I know and you go whoring around with some monk from the hills?" he slammed his fist on the table.

"He never touched me until five minutes ago. Lu Bu, I love him."

"And I love Diao Chan, but I can't have her. Sometimes you've got to grow up and realize the real world sucks." He crossed his arms. "And you're going to stop worrying your brother and get married to the right man. The one he picked out for you since you obviously don't know any better."

"No." She backed into the room, letting the door swing shut on her brother's furious friend. She turned to see that the situation was not going any better in there.

"So this is who you've been spending your time with? And I had hoped you were sneaking off to Si Shui to see Hua Xiong."

"I love him Xi." She went over to Tong and clung to him for the first time. "I want to be with him for the rest of my life"

"In your shack on top of the mountain? You do realize he has nothing, right?"

"I never wanted anything, you did." She watched his eyes squint angrily at her.

"Fine. But you won't have my blessing."

So they left and went to Li Ru who married them in a ceremony consisting of three people and a donkey. They left promptly after and she hadn't seen or heard from her brother since.

"What's wrong?" Pang Tong was very quick to pick up on things, especially when they involved his wife.

"Nothing."

"Oh now we're lying are we? I guess you do have something going on with General Zhao, huh?" he teased and picked her chin up. "What is it darling?"

She shook her head, "I just…"

"Your brother is fine, you heard Lady Sun. You'll probably see him at Jian Ye."

"I haven't seen him since…."

"I stole you."

"You didn't steal me." She smiled.

"It will be fine, I promise."

"I thought I was supposed to protect you." She closed her eyes comforted by him in every way.