Falling Star.
Liu Bei strides across the crowd with hast, somehow making his way through the jubilating soldiers of Shu. The cheers of joy and victory of his army echo through the plain and widen the smile on his face.
This is it. They won. Finally. Shu is triumphant and stands victorious on Wu Zhang Plains. Cao Cao is no more. His son is now a prisoner. Sima Yi and his offspring had fled, tail between their legs, their sly cunning negate. That last battle marks the beginning of a new era of peace when the country, united at last, would be ruled by Justice, Virtue and Benevolence, just like in Liu Bei's dreams.
There are so much people that Liu Bei has to thanks for that. So much valorous warriors, with legendary might and unquestioning loyalty, who put their faith and trust on him. So much people who suffered to allow him, the modest sandal weaver, to become the future Emperor of China. But there is one person that Liu Bei wants to thanks first.
Zhuge Liang, the White Dragon of Shu. His Divinely Inspired Strategist.
That man (and Liu Bei still wonders if he's only a man, and not a Mystic like that Taigong Wang he met briefly before) is the one who made all this possible. In a little less than ten years, Zhuge Liang turned a stateless man into one of the Three Great Lords of China, King of one of the Three Kingdoms. Mostly with wits. That was almost terrifying. Zhuge Liang's skills and strategies (taking more after divination than anything else), his fore-sightedness and his mastery of words hauled Liu Bei on the Emperor's Throne.
Liu Bei refrains himself to laugh when he thinks back at what his Brothers, oh dears, late Brothers, told him when they first met the Sleeping Dragon.
"He is a mad man ! He'll lead you to your death, First Brother !"
"A Dragon ? I see no Dragon here ! Just a foolish peasant who thinks himself scholar because he knows about the art of Cajolery !"
Zhuge Liang's coolness and unpredictable mind never found a way in Liu Bei's Brothers' hearts, and they never fully trusted him. If only they could be here today and see where this ''holier-than-thou foolish hermit" lead him…
Liu Bei has to search a long time across the main camp to finally find the one he is looking for. Zhuge Liang is there, standing in front of one of the many tents. He is still, the Great White Fan pressed over his chest, just as usual. It is like all the elation around him doesn't reach him. It doesn't surprise Liu Bei. His Prime Minister never was very effusive (the last time Zhuge Liang had shown some emotion, it was when he had Ma Su executed). But it doesn't bother him. It is also thanks to that impassibility that Zhuge Liang was able to think about strategy as extravagant as unerring.
Zhuge Liang has his back turned on him, so Liu Bei calls with strong and clear voice to catch his attention.
"Hey, Zhuge Liang !"
Zhuge Liang starts a little, like brought out of a deep reverie. Liu Bei's smile widen a little more. It took him nearly ten years, but he finally managed to take his Strategist by surprise after all. Liu Bei steps up his pace, burning with impatience to tell him all the joy he feels and express him all the gratefulness he has for him. Before having fully reaching him, Liu Bei starts talking, overjoyed with enthusiasm.
"There you are! I looked everywhere on the battlefield for you !"
Zhuge Liang slowly turns to face his Lord. Liu Bei is still walking toward him, arms opened wide, ready to embrace him like the friend and brother he became over the years.
"Now we have our victory ! The Chaos is gone today, and it's all thanks to you ! I wanted to tell you that…"
Liu Bei interrupts himself when he sees Zhuge Liang's eyes rolling back in their sockets as his body crumbles suddenly. Liu Bei races toward him and catches him just in time to avoid his friend a hard fall. He eases him on the ground while looking for some injury that could explain that unexpected weakness. He doesn't find any, but Zhuge Liang's paleness and wheezing breathing scares him. Has Zhuge Liang taken ill ? Since when ?
"Zhuge Liang ! What's going on ?!"
Zhuge Liang has his eyes opened wide, but he doesn't seem to see him. The mischievous spark that usually rests there is gone. Liu Bei shakes him roughly to bring him back to him (or, at least, get some reaction from his Strategist, anything, the moment he comes out of his trance).
"Zhuge Liang !"
Liu Bei turns and yells to the closest soldier (a young boy who is even more panicked by what's happening than himself) to go and bring a physician here, now. Then he looks back at Zhuge Liang. He is blinking slowly, like he was trying to clear his sight. Finally, finally, the green eyes spark with recognition and he has a faint smile.
"Oh… It is you… my Lord… Forgive me… I had not… recognized you…"
His voice is just a breath, barely audible and Liu Bei has to bend over his friend to hear him. Liu Bei panics. The sound of Zhuge Liang's breathing just terrorizes him.
"What's happening to you ? Are you hurt ?"
Zhuge Liang doesn't answer. Once again, his eyes don't seem to see what is around him. He just glares intently at a point in the sky, like all the mysteries of the Heaven found an answer there. Slowly, his eyelids close. Frightened, Liu Bei shakes him again.
"Stay with me! Hang on my friend! A physician will soon be here! Just… stay with me, alright?"
With great difficulties, Zhuge Liang opens his eyes again and looks at his Lord. His life his coming to an end, he knows it. Oh Gods, since how long he tries to delay the inevitable? With this body eaten away by illness for months, he knew that Wu Zhang would be his last battle. But yet, Zhuge Liang is serene. He was prepared to that instant since long. He would like to tell his Lord that everything is going to be alright, that he should not worry, that he will go in peace, as he carried out his duty on Earth. But his strengths are abandoning him, and he has to choose his last words carefully. For the one who dedicated his life to the study of words, it's quite frustrating. But things are this way.
"My Lord… I am sorry… for lord Guan Yu… and Master Pang Tong…" he struggles to enunciate.
Those are Zhuge Liang's only regrets. The only things that make his heart bleed. Being responsible for the death of such exceptional men like the God of War and the Fledgling Phoenix.
"Stop that !" Liu Bei retorts with a strained laugh. "You mustn't speak like your time is done ! You sound like your saying farewell ! "
But Zhuge Liang's eyes fill with sadness at those words, and Liu Bei's heart almost bleeds as he understands. No. This is not possible ! He curses inwardly. Where is that damned physician ?! Liu Bei struggles to swallow through the lump that formed in his throat.
"Zhuge Liang… You wouldn't dare… You are not going to die on me now ! Not when the war is finally over and the land united ! Not when our dreams of Justice and Benevolence are so close to become real ! You wouldn't dare leave me now, would you ?"
Zhuge Liang doesn't answer.
"Would you ?" Liu Bei asks again, desperate. Zhuge Liang laughs weakly and his laugh quickly turns into sickly fits of cough and he spats blood. When he finally manages to find an shammed breath again, Zhuge Liang smiles.
"Do not worry… my Lord…" he murmurs. "You will be in good hands… Jiang Wei… was more than… a good student… He will be your capable advisor…"
"No!" Liu Bei suddenly shouts. "No ! You… you promised ! You promised that you would stand by my sides no matter what ! That you would walk with me on the united land ! You promised !"
And Liu Bei doesn't care if his words sound childish and would fit a spoiled child throwing a tantrum batter than a future Emperor. He lost too many people dear to his heart, too many friends in this war. Not again ! Never again !
Zhuge Liang is still smiling, like a father before the futile cries of his son. But his eyes are already loosing the brightness of life. So Liu Bei makes a last try.
"I… I forbid you to leave! I command you to stay, do you hear me ? I am your Lord, your King, and your future Emperor ! I command you to stay alive !"
Zhuge Liang's eyes widen a little, genuinely surprise to hear a direct order from Liu Bei (oh, so humble Liu Bei) and his smile grows on his lips. But finally, his eyes turn blind for good. A single tear slips from his closed eyelids as his breathing becomes more and more shallow. His lips shape words that his voice doesn't have the strength to carry out, but Liu Bei recognize them instantaneously, for he saw Zhuge Liang say them so many times before.
"As you command, so shall I obey, my Lord."
Zhuge Liang's body relaxes totally and his head fall on his side. His right hand let slip the Great White Fan which fall on the dusty ground, and Zhuge Liang doesn't answer the desperate calls of his Lord again.
The White Dragon of Shu has returned to his Sleep.
Hi there ! ^o^
Dynasty Warriors was one of my first games ever (with Saint Seiya and Devil May Cry 3… speak about eclecticism…). And since I first play with Zhao Yun, I am a loyal fan of the Shu Kingdom (and a persistent reader of Romance of the Three Kingdoms). I know that Dynasty Warriors 6 had not the most accurate story of the games (you win at Wu Zhang and then Liu Bei becomes Emperor? I like Shu but, Hell, Liu Bei was not even supposed to be still alive at Wu Zhang ! o), but still, I had fun playing it and I found the scene at Wu Zhang… well… touching (yeah, I cried, and so what ! _). So I wanted to write a thing on it. ^o^
Sorry for the potential grammatical and spelling mistakes ! I am French and my English is not always as good as I would like it to be… TvT
Read and review ! ^o^