One Week Later
The wedding was simple. A private ceremony held in the garden's of the Imperial palace, which meant only a handful of the regiment was able to attend.
As she leaned on a beaming Hu's shoulder, a singled tear escaped Wan's eye as she watched her oldest sister about to marry the love of her life.
Wing merely stood with a small smile, although internally, she was very happy for her sister.
Chang stood at the front of the small congregation, Jade's arm linked in his, wearing the jade hanfu she had worn when he and the regiment arrived.
Po and his student's stood behind them, along with Shifu and the remainder of the Five. To Po's surprise, he thought he could see Tigress fighting back tears, said feline soon looking at him with loving eyes, which Po returned after a moment of shock.
Nan held Jun close to his side, the latter actually a total mess as she wept at the beautiful scene before her.
Huifang was in the same situation as Shi Long pulled her into a loving embrace.
And at the altar, stood the two lovers, the bride garbed in a scarlet hanfu with gold trim, and the groom, clad in a fresh uniform, who actually surprised everyone by appearing at his wedding clean shaven.
"I always thought that thing hid too much of your handsome face," Su teasingly whispered, causing Han to roll his eyes, "and it makes you look much younger."
Before long, the wedding was underway with Xiao officiating. By the end, even Chang was finding it hard to control his tears.
Then, the moment came.
As Xiao finished the ceremony, Han and Su leaned in, capturing each other's lips in their first kiss as a married couple.
The Garden was soon filled with cheers and congratulations as Han and Su began the next chapter in their lives as they had started it from the beginning;
Together.
Five Years Later
They say all is fair in love and war, but from what I have seen, love has an unfair advantage...not that I am complaining.
Following the Battle of the Forbidden City, many things changed.
Chang and Han resigned from the army, their places quickly being filled by two very deserving men.
General Hu Chan is a natural leader, backed by his ever loyal Captain Nan Hai...the youngest to ever achieve the rank of Captain, I believe. In Hu's place as medic was, believe it or not, Wan, who apparently had always had a deep fascination with medicine.
Almost a year after the battle, Hu and Wan married. A year later, they brought a beautiful son into the world, a young buck who looked every bit like his father, but with his mothers fur... which is bound to turn a few heads.
Nan Hai and Fa Jun began a steady relationship, one that eventually grew into something more. Two years after Jindiao's attack, they married. One year later, Jun gave birth to twin girls.
Xiao and Shi Long formed a strong bond as only sisters had. Following the battle, Xiao issued a full pardon for Shi Long's crimes, finally granting her her freedom.
In the time since the battle, Shi Long and Huifang married, and even adopted a young wolf cub named Xiao Gou. Now that's a blended family.
Fan Tong had recently been asked back to the capital by Xiao, who surprised him with a proposal of marriage. In a way that only a bumbling Fan Tong could, he accepted. The two married this previous month, and Xiao is already said to be with child.
Master Po and his students eventually returned to his home village high in the mountains, where they regaled the villagers with their tales of heroics.
Master Po would return to the Valley of Peace with Master Shifu and the remainder of the Furious Five, who actually found some new members in that time.
Tou Lu, wanting to find a greater purpose in the world after the loss of her sister, asked to join, along with Nu Hai who wanted to learn from the "Great Master Tigress" herself. Master Shifu just couldn't refuse.
Po and Tigress pursued a romantic relationship, eventually marrying that summer. The next summer they sired a beautiful baby girl, a white furred tiger whom they named Hu Xiong.
Jade left her position as head guard of Xiao's security force. While Xiao and the other guards were sad to see their friend go, they understood why. Jade's decision had come five mouths after the battle, when Chang, who briefley worked in his father's bar before pursuing a career in architecture, proposed to her. Wanting to be with her future husband, Jade passed the mantel of her position to Wing. Jade and Chang married the next summer, and just two months ago, Jade gave birth to their second child, a little doe that they named Song, whose older brother Zihao absolutely adored.
Wing took to her new position well, her skill and, um, "personalty" instantly making her a well respected favorite among Xiao and the other guards. Wing actually took to one guard named Shouhu. The two will have been dating for nearly three years now. They are even talking of adopting just as Huifang and Shi Long had.
As for me and Han...
"MAMA!" Su jumped as her attention was pulled from her piece of parchment, silently thanking the universe that her quill had not scratched over her writing. Looking to the source of the sudden interruption, any anger Su felt quickly vanished as she smiled at the beaming leopard cub by her side.
"Hello Niu," Su giggled as she scooped her daughter up into her lap, the little cub's emerald eyes twinkling with delight, "what brings you here?"
"Papa says Uncle Chang and Aunt Jade are here," the cub answered excitedly, her noticeably longer fangs, having been inherited from her father, gleaming in the light. Su chuckled as she kissed her daughters head, eliciting a small giggle from the cub.
"Well tell them I'll be out in a few minutes, dear," Su cooed as she set her daughter down, the little cub running out of her mother's writing room. Shaking her head in amusement as she looked after her little girl, Su smile as she returned to her work, only to be interrupted again by Han, his beard having grown back, but much less grey, clad in blue tunic and black trousers, appearing much more relaxed, and because of that, noticeably younger than a fifty-year-old man should look.
"Put the quill down," he teased as he crossed over to his wife, leaning down to gently kiss her head, "and join your family." Rolling her eyes, Su put the quill down before picking up the piece of parchment, placing it beneath a stack of other pieces of parchment.
"Just got finished," she said, turning to her love and placing a tender kiss on his lips before leaving the room, followed closely by Han, all while the last words of her work made her smile in deep fondness.
As for me and Han...and our daughter Niu...
Life could not be more perfect.
And at the top of the stack of parchment,
a title.
Love and War
by Su Fang
Eighteen Years Earlier
The music drifting in from the streets was calming, hypnotic in a way. Not that Han and Su minded.
To the them, the only thing that mattered at that point was holding each other close, swaying as the music swirled around, the vacant tavern, courtesy of Han buying it out for a "private party.".
From nearby, Wan smiled as she sat at a table, sipping her wine as Wing stood nearby, an indifferent look on her face as she swirled her whiskey in her cup.
While she didn't trust Han too much, him being a soldier and all, she couldn't help but agree with her little sister that the soldier and their older sister were made for each other.
She just couldn't believe it had been two years since Han convinced the Emperor to pardon them, in exchange for their service as spies.
Wan stood to stand by her sister, the smile never once leaving her face, although it did falter when she saw her Wing's.
"I'm not sure if I trust him either," she admitted, "but, I think we can trust Su's judgement."
"After a moment," Wing nodded in agreement, accompanied by a small hum. Looking to her little sister, Wing couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips upon seeing her sister's compassionate smile. Looking back to Han and Su, the two sisters continued to smile as the pair continued to dance, Su's head resting on Han's chest.
Soon, the two found themselves looking into each other's eyes as the song outside began to come to an end.
"I love you," Su said for the first time with adoration. Han smiled.
"And I love You."
And with that, the two leaned toward each other, cementing their bond with a deep and passionate kiss.
A kiss made possibly through Love and War.
~*The End*~
