Disclaimer: I do not own Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao and other Dynasty Warriors as they belong to Koei.
Author's notes: Hiya! Long time no see! I was viewing Xiao Qiao's ending for DW5 game and it was so cute that it has inspired me to write this fanfic. They are just so beautiful together like Sun Ce and Da Qiao...yin and yang in both couples. I hope u like it after not receiving new fics from me for a looooooong time and also to celebrate a new year: for in 2006, it's a prosperous occasion for those born in the year of the dog. as based on the Chinese animal zodiac.
Summary: Who would have known that an apple would bring back a near forgotten memory...(ZY/XQ pairing, fluffiness)
It Was Only An Apple
"Lord Zhou Yu..."
The handsome Wu strategist by the name of Zhou Yu nodded his head at a passing trader's acknowledgment as he sifted through the hustle and bustle within the venue, the marketplace.
The richly clad strategist wandered in the busy marketplace, his stern brown eyes shining as he watched each peasant and trader going about their business. He could see children running about in the open areas playing games while there were others staying close to their parents as they helped carry their purchases.
There were vegetable and fruit stalls, displaying a colorful array of produce ranging from sunset colored mandarin oranges to the succulent purple eggplants. He observed the rice merchants doing their trade and the butchers tirelessly working to keep up the demand of their customers. There were a few stray peddlers surrounded by children as they gave sweets and performed silly acts for them.
He closed his eyes momentarily and smiled. It was a good time to briefly relax after endless hours of royal meetings and being cooped up in the royal family's residence. He found the marketplace a haven for his quick and sharp mind, he liked to observe the people the Sun family ruled over, feeling happy that they were living in contentment and peace. Seeing them looking prosperous and the bounty of produce the traders were providing proved that their kingdom was blossoming well like a lotus blossom rising from the earth in its ethereal beauty.
He walked further into the marketplace, stopping every now and then to acknowledge the presence of his people as they bowed their respects to him. He soon reached to the market centre where a well stood. He was mesmerized by the hustle and bustle of the venue that he failed to feel a bump on his left leg. A small voice, like a coo of a dove, caught his sharp ears, snapping him out of his little reverie.
"Ow..."
He looked down to find a little girl looking no older than eight years old sitting on the stony ground. A pouch filled with gold coins was at her side, its belt loosened. A woven basket looked like it had been dropped abruptly as it was toppled over, rolling on its side awkwardly. Several red fuji apples scattered everywhere around her, some were near the little girl's side and the others were near Zhou Yu's feet. The handsome man felt guilty for not noticing the child's plight as he bent down onto one knee to help her up.
"Are you alright, little one?" Zhou Yu asked with concern as she dusted her clothes and made eye contact with him, "I am sorry for not noticing you fall, I hope I did not hurt you."
The little girl gaped her mouth when she recognized him and made a shy curtsey to him, stuttering as she tried to keep the blush away from her cheeks, "I-I-I am not hurt, Lord Z-Zhou Yu...I am just sorry that I bumped into y-your leg without knowing...I had a good sell today and I could not wait to show it to my parents..." she bowed her head respectfully.
Zhou Yu shook his head and used a slim finger to tilt the child's head back to his eye level, mustering a tender look for her, "There is nothing to apologize for, I am more concerned for your well-being. And you do not have to be afraid of me."
The child seller cocked her head with a cute smile on her face. She looked adorable in her burgundy attire, her hair tied up in tight little buns with shiny red silk ribbons. Through her dark fine fringe, her large dark brown eyes twinkled with innocence, which he hoped would not be lost to the dark times. Almost at once, Zhou Yu could envision his cheerful, bubbly yet strong and kind-hearted Xiao Qiao smiling back at him.
"Come, I will help you gather your apples, little one."
"T-thank you, my lord, but r-really, you do not have to," the child started as she picked several apples to put back into the basket, "It is my fault."
Zhou Yu only chuckled as he picked up an apple. He observed the child as she continued her task. Just looking at her reminded him of his young beloved. The innocence that she and the girl possessed were remarkably similar. He gazed back at the apple in his fist, its peach and red skin shining softly in the sun.
"My lord? Are...are you alright?"
"I am fine, little one," Zhou Yu said as he sat down at the edge of the mountain and gave the apple back to the girl.
"You seem to like apples a lot," the child commented, gazing up at him with a smile as she tied the pouch back onto her belt.
"I do...because..."
His smile turned reminiscent as a near completely faded childhood memory surfaced with clarity he thought was long forgetten...
"It is because...the apple is somehow a sign of fate decreed that I would meet my Xiao Qiao..."
"What do you mean by that, Lord Zhou Yu?"
"I guess what I want to say that at that time, I have met Xiao Qiao in my childhood and the apple I received from that incident is the sole reminder of that encounter. And that encounter happened by chance. I did not know any better that the little girl I met was to be my wife and that I could rescue her again in the future, which I did."
"You mean that you met her way before you and the Emperor rescued her and Lady Da Qiao as described in stories told by Mama and Papa?"
"Oh yes, little one..." Zhou Yu smiled and motioned for the child seller to sit down.
"Oooo! A story! I love stories!"
"Calm down...I will tell what I can remember, little one."
"Hey! Give me back those apples, you meanies!"
A ten year old Zhou Yu stopped strolling near the vegetable stands when he heard a cry. His leisure walk turned into a run as he sifted through the crowd to follow the cry. He found the source of the cry at an area that led to the fields. What he saw made his young blood boil and his eyes shine with disgust. A young pretty girl of younger age was chasing two older boys who were jeering and laughing as their fists greedily clutched the juicy fuji apples as their spoils. The other boys were bigger and faster than her, and she looked close to tears. The youth caught up with the boys and halted their tracks.
"Have you no sense of honor? You have no right to steal from her," his youthful voice was mature and stern.
The young girl stopped her running, gazing at Zhou Yu with growing admiration in her large eyes. The other two looked at each other before snickering.
"Give...them...back...to...her," Zhou Yu said, his voice pronouncing each word dangerously.
"Says who? You are not my mother and besides..." the bigger of the two stepped forward, "What are you going to do about it?"
"Can you fight? You look too much like a girl!" the other jeered.
Zhou Yu's eyebrow twitched but he stayed on his ground, "Cowards."
"Take that back!"
The first bully got ready to punch Zhou Yu's face but the young hero in the making evaded it easily and kicked him swiftly to land onto the ground clumsily, The two apples flew into the air but Zhou Yu caught them with ease. The second bully grabbed him from behind but the youth elbowed his stomach lightly enough to loosen his arms so that he could escape. He threw his second opponent aside, catching the remaining apples. He stood triumphantly before the two bullies with a raised eyebrow.
The boys sneered at him but retreated.
Zhou Yu watched the boys disappear into the crowd before turning back to the girl who was behind him. She was clutching the basket close to her, gazing up at him shyly with a smile on her cute and pretty face. She was in a silk white and peach colored chongsam, her dark brown hair up in a high ponytail with red ribbons and butterflies. The young boy deduced from her delicate features and her clothes that she was from a high-class family as he was.
"Uh...here are your apples," Zhou Yu brought the apples forward to put them carefully in her basket.
"Thank you...uh..." she smiled awkwardly, "I am sorry, I do not know your name."
"Uh...my name is Zhou Yu...and...you are?"
"Xiao Qiao," she giggled and smiled, "You are so brave and strong..."
He blushed and scratched the back of his head, "It...it was nothing, my father is teaching me martial arts and you needed help. I have not seen you before. What are you doing around this place?"
The smile turned into a small serious frown, "Jie jie and I are planning to go for a picnic this afternoon and she entrusted me to get some apples for dessert. This is the first time for me because she usually is the one to buy things and I do not want to let her down. But then the meanies nearly took them away. I am glad you came by."
"Will you be alright?"
"I am now," she said before reaching into the basket. She out-stretched her hand to give an apple to him.
Zhou Yu shook his head, "I cannot accept, Xiao Qiao. It is yours to share with your sister."
"Please...take it, you look a bit hungry and my sister and I could always get more when we want to."
Zhou Yu stared at the succulent fruit in the other child's hand. He reached out a hesitant hand and took it, feeling the smooth skin of the fruit and the hardness of the flesh. He smiled back at her sincerely.
"Thank you."
The little girl turned her head around, her face brightened and Zhou Yu could see another little girl waving to her, "There is jie jie. I really have to go."
Xiao Qiao turned to leave but she faced Zhou Yu again and their eyes locked momentarily.
"Will...will I get to see you again, Zhou Yu?" she asked softly.
"I hope we can, Xiao Qiao," Zhou Yu replied just as softly.
"When...when we meet again, I will show you that I have become strong and brave...just like you," she promised before she left him a cute smile and left.
Still clutching the apple in his fist, Zhou Yu watched Xiao Qiao getting smaller and smaller until she reached to her sister who embraced her. They left together as they faded to the horizon. He looked at the fruit and smiled ruefully, shaking his head at what had transpired. Deciding that he was indeed thirsty and hungry, he took a bite of the apple.
It was sweet and crunchy as he thought it would be.
"Did you ever get to see her again?" the child seller asked as she stood up with her basket in tow.
Zhou Yu shook his head, "No, because some time later, I got acquainted with the Emperor who as you know became my close friend. We spent a lot of time together so I could not find the time to find and get to know that mysterious girl. But truth be told, I could not forget the kind act she bestowed upon me and the delicious taste of the apple. So if I cannot remember how she did look like clearly, I would think back to the taste of the apple. The memory had faded some time but somehow this day...seeing you with those apples brought back that memory."
"Do you think she knows about it? I mean...back then...at that time?"
Zhou Yu frowned for a moment in thought before he shook his head, "I highly doubt that she would remember. It was a long time ago..."
"Wow!" the little girl clapped her hands with a gleeful laugh, "The story is so cute!""Hush!" Zhou Yu calmed the exuberant child, "You do not want to stir the crowd."
"I apologize," she said sheepishly.
"I would like it if this conversation is kept between us," the Qu strategist gave a wry smile and winked a brown eye at her.
"You mean...I get to share a secret with you, Lord Zhou Yu?" her eyes sparkled brightly when the strategist nodded and patted her head.
"Little one?"
"Yes, my lord?"
Zhou Yu reached to his side to pull out a small bag of gold coins and smiled at her.
"I would like to buy some apples from you."
"Zhou Yu! My lord!"
Strolling down one of the heavily furnished corridors, Zhou Yu's eyes brightened with hidden joy as he watched the young woman that was his wife sprint as fast as she could towards him. Taking in her happy cherubic face and her beauty and innocence radiating from her child-like slender form, he felt the full body contact as Xiao Qiao glomped him. Luckily, Zhou Yu was tall and sturdy in build to remain upright as he caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly as he could without dropping his purchases. Xiao Qiao nuzzled against his chest, gazing up at him with her head cocked to one side.
"I missed you, my lord," she pouted cutely, "Where did you go? I could not find you anywhere."
Zhou Yu ran his hand gently over her cheek as he kissed her forehead, "I needed some fresh air for a while, my Xiao. Will these apples make up for my brief disappearance?"
Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the two rosy colored large Fuji apples in the small weaved bag Zhou Yu was showing her. She took them gingerly and looked up at her husband. Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow to find a serious look on her face.
"Xiao?"
"It would be worth it only if you would eat them with me, my husband. Food always taste better when there is more to share."
Zhou Yu smiled at the sincere act and took her hand to lead out to the garden.
The Wu strategist watched with amusement as his brown eyes took in the sight of the gleeful and content look on his wife's face as she ate her own apple with enthusiastic bites. As he ate his share, he could taste the sweetness of the juice and the crunchiness of its succulent flesh. He thought back to the memory that he narrated to the child seller, feeling as if history was repeating itself again...
But then Zhou Yu thought...
'This Fuji apple may be a delicious and beautiful fruit and the memory connected to it was memorable and good to look back upon...but...'
"My lord? Are you alright?" Xiao Qiao had paused in her eating to look at him with concern.
"Never better, my beautiful wife..." Zhou Yu said softly as he pulled her close to rest against his chest. Xiao Qiao smiled sweetly as she continued eating.
"I love you, Zhou Yu..." she wiped her wet lips demurely to get rid of the juice to kiss her husband's cheek.
Zhou Yu gave back a rare tender look that was only reserved for his beloved and kissed the dimple on her cheek as her smile turned sincere and soft, "And I love you, Xiao..."
'A fruit is merely to be created and to be consumed to quench thirst and hunger and the memory does not matter in the present. Not when I have the real thing...my beloved at my side...my Xiao Qiao...'
The End
Author's note: hehehehe, I hope this will leave u smiling. I've been reading too many depressing fics lately and I think that there should be fluffiness at end. I hope u guys like it! Please read and review. I want to also wish an early Chinese New Year, on 29th January, the festivities will begin!