Sidenotes: Am I the worst author in the world or what? Anyway, you guys probably can guess why. Bwai. I'll leave it at that. Sorry I couldn't churn this out faster. Believe it or not, I really worked hard trying to get this out. I sincerely apologize for the shortness! I really do! I'll make it up to you guys somehow.

Thank you's: Love you reviewers! (insert cute little smiley here) Adamantina, Max Fuchs, KairiLuv (being not nearly as lazy as me, who apparently can't even update a story before it hits the third page :P), Hell's Hitman, Kaze ni Tenshi, Branchscamper, BadBoyCoooper, kY0chAn196, sage-serenity, RWT, Empowerism

Also infinite thanks to Gillian Bradshaw's The Sand-Reckoner. Awesome book and for some reason it inspired me, so now I know exactly how the story will go. I mean, before I read it, I had a vague idea, but now I have a clear picture of the events.

Warning: Mid-chapter Monty Python episode. Sowwee. -grins innocently-

Style names in this chapter: None

Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors is copyrighted to Koei, that magnificent company that apparently has a mailing address in Burlingame … maybe I should stalk them … I know where it is … -evil cackles-

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A STORY WRITTEN HISTORICALLY INACCURATELY

Chapter Ten: Temper Tantrum

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When at first Sun Shang Xiang set eyes upon the corpse of what had been her father, it was first disbelief that hit her. Father's not dead, she reassured himself. He can't be dead. This mission … it's a routine mission to survey a piece of land, for Heavens' sake! Hardly a place to be killed!

Her fingers brushed over his; he was cold. Quietly, she stared into his empty eyes. A teardrop fell onto his still face, his painfully still face.

Then, at once, out rushed Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.

Perhaps a bit of background information might help fill in the blanks. You see, Sun Shang Xiang had sighted the dust cloud in the distance that approached the palace from her chamber window, and had immediately rushed down as fast as she could, before anyone else could arrive. The great gates flung open, Sun Shang Xiang rushed to find her father's horse and smother him in affectionate hugs before anyone else got the chance to welcome him home.

Only there was a problem: Sun Shang Xiang could not spot her father.

And then Lu Meng had dismounted, bowing graciously. "I bear news of unfathomable grief. Lord Sun Jian …" --here Lu Meng choked-- "… has died in battle."

Sun Shang Xiang blinked, and then blinked again. "All right, who set you up?"

Lu Meng was puzzled. "W-what?"

Sun Shang Xiang tapped her foot impatiently. "Who put you up to this? I'm not falling for it. Where's Father?"

And so he had shown her.

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"What's going on here?" Sun Ce demanded. Zhou Yu halted a few paces behind him, panting for breath.

The back of Sun Shang Xiang's head seemed to hang there for an eternity. She was standing up, reaching into one of the wagons. The curtain was only slightly parted, allowing for only Sun Shang Xiang herself to be granted a view of what lay within.

And slowly, her head turned around. Her eyes were red from crying, but she still forced a grin and a girlish giggle.

"Father's home," she chirped, voice trembling.

Zhou Yu knew right then what had happened, but he refused to believe it. "It can't be." What he truly meant was that Sun Jian's final resting place certainly could not be one of the supply wagons designated for the trip, though he later told himself that he had been in disbelief.

Sun Ce stepped closer until he was standing next to Sun Shang Xiang. Carefully, he parted some more of the curtain.

Then his face turned white, and he turned. His stomach heaved.

"Oh. My. God."

The air stank of death and vomit. Zhou Yu's stomach churned, but he managed to compose himself. The strategist of Wu ventured a few steps closer, and peered over Sun Shang Xiang's shoulder to have a look.

Sun Jian's eyes were open in death, his skin disgustingly translucent, lips blue like seawater.

Zhou Yu went up to the body, hands shaking, but he managed to pass a hand over Sun Jian's eyes to close them, somehow trying to dispel the shivers running down his back.

Sun Ce's eyes were distant, even as sweat beaded his forehead.

"Will you be all right?" Zhou Yu had asked.

Sun Ce forced a grin, looking eerily like his sister. "Of course."

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Nightfall fell slowly upon Jian Ye. The day was filled with busy scuttling-abouts, hysteric cries, shouts of disbelief, screams of anguish.

The men of the palace tried in vain to get a response from Lady Sun Shang Xiang, who sat on the edge of her bed the entire bed, staring off into space.

Young heir to the lordship Sun Ce was also not to be found.

Sun Quan, the youngest Sun sibling that still bothered to keep residence in the capital city, made attempts to gather the men's wits together, but they were in vain. Soldiers ran around screaming in the streets. Needless to say, it wasn't long before the civilians joined them.

Clouds cast themselves over the sunlight. The people wept in the streets. People ripped off their shirts and beat their chests and smeared themselves in jelly and toothpaste—

-Okay, fine. No toothpaste. No jelly. Or shirt-ripping. Wait – where did all those groans come from? HEY! I see you pervs over there! Knock it off!-

It was a day of mourning. As Sun Ce parted the curtain of his mother's window and looked into the lush garden that filled the courtyard, he couldn't help but feel strangely cold.

The moon and stars were all that lit the night sky before somebody's presence finally disturbed the eternal calm of his mother's study. His mother never bothered to come near a book, much less touch one, so for the most part, Sun Ce had used it as his place of solitude since he was a boy. Nobody ever thought to check the Lady Wu's study because they naturally assumed that nobody was in it, apart from the dust motes. In fact, few were even aware of its presence, besides the Sun family and officials with high positions. And still, someone else.

"You could have knocked, Zhou Yu." Sun Ce let the curtain fall, obscuring all light save the pale slivers of light that slipped through the cracks.

Zhou Yu still stood in the doorway, staring at the silhouette of his best friend. A single crease of worry lined his forehead. Since when did Sun Ce use such formalities with a man who had known him for practically forever?

He finally found a reply. "Why were you hiding?"

Sun Ce laughed, though it came out as more of a dry cough. "And why did you leave me here? You knew where I was the whole time."

Zhou Yu bowed. "I am sorry for your loss, my lord."

"What's with all this 'my lord' stuff? Didn't I tell you I hated to be called that!" Sun Ce suddenly spun around, pinning Zhou Yu to a wall by his collar. "DIDN'T I!"

Zhou Yu coughed, air knocked out of his lungs. "I apologize," he managed to choke out, the pressure against his neck sending little stars bursting all across his vision. He'd forgotten how strong Ce was.

Then, just as suddenly, Sun Ce let go. Zhou Yu crumpled to the floor, and Sun Ce stormed out of the room.

"You can't bring him back from the dead, you know!" Zhou Yu shouted as soon as he could speak again.

"I know … dammit." His voice was barely audible, but Sun Ce knew that Zhou Yu had heard.

Reality struck. Father is dead. And nothing … nothing really mattered anymore.

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The slish, slosh, splash of water was deafening as the ice cold liquid flew across Sun Ce's face. He rubbed his face with his hands, particularly his eyes, before sighing and looking over his shoulder to the long-haired man waiting patiently behind him. "Sorry, Yu." His feeble grin was sheepish, if anything.

Zhou Yu smiled. "And we thought only small children threw temper tantrums. All is forgiven. Ce."

"Has anyone managed to move Shang?" asked Sun Ce.

"Yes," Zhou Yu replied. "Herself. She suddenly fell onto her back and went to sleep. A guard reported it."

"Poor Shang … she was always a Daddy's girl."

Zhou Yu nodded gravely. "I know."

"Still a suck-up, if you ask me." Sun Ce rubbed his face with a towel.

Zhou Yu laughed. "I suppose."

"I've never run my own country before." Sun Ce looked thoughtful. "But one thing is for certain. Whoever killed Father … will DIE." His expression hardened, and his eyes could have cut through granite.

Zhou Yu lowered his head in respect. "Lord Sun Jian shall be sorely missed."

Sun Ce sighed, and a wave of drowsiness overcame him. "I'm tired from all this death! I … I need some sleep."

"Go rest, and rest well, Ce," Zhou Yu advised. "You want to be well-rested for the aftermath."

"Aftermath?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zhou Yu's eyes were clouded. "Our enemies may take advantage of this perilous situation. We must gather morale as quickly as possible."

"Sure. Does that change the fact that I'm sleepy?"

Zhou Yu smiled. Sun Ce was back. "No."

"Didn't think so!" Sun Ce yawned loudly, heading back to his chambers. "Night, Yu."

"Goodnight."

Once Sun Ce had left the room, Zhou Yu sighed and went to wash his face. It looked to be another another sleepless night …

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End of Temper Tantrum

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A/N: Chapter completed. The time is three o' nine am. Night guys. Sorry if this chap is crap (haha, rhyme), but I didn't have time to edit.