'Mitsuko...hey Mitsuko wakey wakey.' Mitsuko opens her eyes groggily to find a beaming Akari in front of her. She looks around more and sees several chairs and desks with a teacher's desk and a blackboard. She sees that she was sleeping at her desk.

'Oh...hey.' Mitusko responded clearly still sleepy.

'Did I disturb you my sleeping beauty?' Akari giggles as Mitsuko rolls her eyes.

'Actually no I was about to get up.'

'I'm surprised that you didn't run off as soon as the teacher left.'

'If I did he'd only track me down and call him back...it doesn't help that he's the first one I have tomorrow.'

'You should've thought about that before you dozed off in class then.' Akari giggles as Mitsuko sighs again.

'Well its not like History is an important subject or anything there was no need for him to keep me after school for it.' Akari giggles again as Mitsuko stands up and puts her bagpack on the desk and began to pack her school supplies.

'Maybe you should sleep earlier?' She sarcastically suggests as Mitsuko shoots her a death glare.

'Maybe you should actually let me instead of calling me when its 10 o'clock at night.' Mitsuko finishes putting her school supplies in her bag and looks up at Akari who seems to be closer than she thought. It made her heart skip a beat.

'Ahem personal space?' Mitsuko exclaims as she sees a mischievous smirk forming on her lips.

'What about it?'

'I'd like you to respect mine.'

'What if I don't...what if I move in just a little closer?' She playfully teases her as she leans over the table getting a closer to Mitsuko who leans back in surprise with her face started to become flushed.

'I will...erm...I...' Mitsuko stammered her words nervously as she attempted to form a sentence.

'What if I move in a little closer, does it make you nervous Mitsuko? Does it make your heart race?' Akari inquires as she puts her right knee on the desk pushing herself up and becoming inches away from Mitsuko's face. Mitsuko tries to avert her gaze elsewhere though she could not pull herself away from Akari's alluring eyes.

'...Just a little bit.' She admits as Akari's smirk turns into a genuine smile. Mitsuko thought this was quite a way to go for a joke. However Akari closes her eyes and presses her lips together with Mitsuko's whose eyes widen with surprise before closing her eyes and letting herself get engulfed in the kiss.

She opens her eyes and sees the ceiling of her room. It takes her a second to realise that it was just a dream. Once it was a memory that she looked back on with happiness now it only brings her the taste of sadness and regret. She sits up and wipes the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes.

'If I'm not being haunted I'm gonna feel like shit. I guess that's what I get for not forgetting to remember. I suppose I do deserve it but I didn't mean to...'

Mitsuko's train of thought is broken as she finally hears knocking on her door.

'Give me a minute!' She yells as she got out of bed and changed into her military gear. The knocking still continues until she's donned her uniform and opened the door where Pang Tong was revealed.

'Hmm 647 knocks...that's not the best score I've ever seen.' He laughs.

'Did you count all the knocks you did at my door?'

'Well I figured I may aswell see how responsive you are. You never know when you would be summoned my lady.'

'Well I don't think that will be a problem right now considering our position at the moment especially with the main force arriving at some point today.' Mitsuko responded as she stretches her arms high in the air.

'You never know my lady but still it can't hurt to be at least a little prepared.'

'Noted. Now we should-' Mitsuko was interrupted as she hears several people shouting over each other in the distance. She turns around to see a lot of soldiers hurrily sprinting from place to place clearly panicked. Pang Tong chuckles to himself. Mitsuko sees Zang Ba coming towards her.

'Hey what's going on?' She questions.

'The scouts have spotted our lords army we're going to prepare for his arrival he'll be here soon.' He sprints away from Mitsuko as she can hear Pang Tong's chuckling.

'I told you its best to be prepared even just a little bit my lady.' Mitsuko sighs as she starts to help preparation along with everyone else. By the time it was done the castle seems spotless and everyone was in single file with lines of soldiers eagerly awaiting their lord the mighty Lu Bu and the main army to enter the castle. Mitsuko didn't exactly worship her lord as his soldiers would, not to say that she would betray him in a heartbeat of course not but she never did like people and their idolisation of celebrities back in her time. It never sit quite right with her, was it because it she was just jealous or was it simply because everyone talked about their favourite famous actor or singer in her school all the damn time and it just annoyed her? She didn't know and quite frankly right now she didn't care. Pang Tong meanwhile lurks in the shadows sitting next to a crate of boxes keeping out of sight of everyone. In front of the gates was LingQi as the castle was her responsibility.

The gates start to open as everyone stands at attention. Many soldiers have returned from their battle in the north. Many soldiers in the garrison cheered when they arrived, the officers led the soldiers in the city. However the first one to arrive in his brand new castle was the mighty lord Lu Bu. It was a glorious sight to behold to see the mightiest warrior in the land on his gallant steed the red hare. Mitsuko never had the opportunity to look at red hare this close before so it was a magnificent sight to see. She imagined how it must've been for the enemy for the mightiest warrior riding the steed at the helm of his army. As he enters the castle the atmosphere in the castle changed drastically from excited anticipation to intimidated.

The people on horseback dismount from their horses and men without being ordered escorted them back to the stables. Lu Bu looks around the castle examining it aswell as the soldiers it was almost intimidating as if he was searching for something to point out and use it as an excuse to let loose. After Red hare was escorted to the stables Lu Bu made his way forward to his daughter. LingQi bows respectfully as he approaches her, due to the chatter by other soldiers and officers Mitsuko couldn't hear what they were saying. Even his walk towards LingQi was intense Mitsuko thought to herself. She saw that Lu Bu put his hand on her shoulder and says something to her though what Mitsuko did not know...she does know that it made LingQi very happy seeing as she smiled very brightly at this as she bows towards him. She never saw her actually smile that happily before. Suddenly Lu Bu's raised his sky piercer in the sky and the idle chatter stops.

'Hear me! This will be the beginning of my conquest, soon we will make the entire land mine and I will crush anyone who stands in my way starting with Cao Cao...for now though we will have a feast to celebrate!' Every soldier cheered in response as the atmosphere changed to a lighter tone and the single filed lines were disbanded with everyone going their separate ways.

'So that's your lord the mightiest warrior in the land eh? He's an intense individual isn't he?' Pang Tong chimed behind Mitsuko who turns towards him

'You'll get used to that eventually.' She turns towards back to her front and sees that LingQi is still smiling. It made her heart skip a beat her left eye colour slowly changes into a more lilac colour as she watches her walk away. The colour reverts as she hears Pang Tong's voice again.

'Shall we go my lady? I hear we still have some duties to attend to before tonight.'

'Of course.'

Soon after the sun has set and night took its place. As the officers start to make their way towards the castles stronghold for the celebratory feast. All the main officers were present including Mitsuko who was standing in the corner watching the other officers as she very slowly sips her Most of the officers were drinking and being merry while Lu Bu sat at the head of the room on a throne wearing a rather bored expression on his face. Mitsuko was almost mystified by this since he was the one who called this feast of his. Her thoughts are interrupted as she sees LingQi approaching her in the distance from the corner of her eye.

'Hello Mitsuko...everything ok you seem troubled.' She asked as she sees the discomfort in Mitsuko's eyes.

'What? Troubled? Do I really look that bored? Aha don't worry I'm fine really.' Mitsuko joked.

'Well if you insist.' Lately LingQi noticed something strange when she looked at Mitsuko. She didn't know if it was always there or if something happened and she didn't tell anyone. She couldn't explain but in her eyes and the way she moved especially in the morning there was a subtle layer of what she perceived to be sadness. She was concerned for her...friend.

'Hey can I ask you something?' Mitsuko inquires.

'Of course you can.'

'Why does your father look...well bored? He was the one that declared this little party of his.' She questions.

'Hmm...I'm not entirely sure.'

'I think I can answer that.' Pang Tong chimes in, suddenly making Mitsuko jump in surprise since he wasn't here at the start.

'Where the fuck did you come from?' She demanded.

'The front door.' Pang Tong laughs as Mitsuko just looked perplexed and just sighs in response.

'Whatever just tell us what his reasoning is.'

'Morale.' He stated bluntly.

'That's it?' LingQi asks as Pang Tong nods.

'Yep and judging by his expression it wasn't his idea. It was probably recommended by your strategist as a way to get the officers from their battle up north a chance to recuperate. Keeping their morale high is important especially in an age of war and strife we're currently in at the moment.'

'Is keeping morale high that important?' Mitsuko questions.

'Why of course. Which of the two fighters do you think will win the one who puts everything on the line or the one that has been resigned to his fate? Its also a way to make sure you don't get stabbed in the back. If your officers are unhappy why should they serve you after all?'

'Well when you put it like that-' Mitsuko was interrupted when a random soldier with a scroll bursts through the door in surprise halting all the idle chatter of the other officers wondering why this soldier interrupted this feast. He goes on one knee and bows his head in front of Lu Bu.

'My lord urgent news!'

'This had better worth my time.' Lu Bu warns in a menacing tone. The soldier gulps and starts to sweat but he proceeds.

'Lord Wu Zi at Dingtao is under siege by Cao Cao's forces he requests urgent reinforcements.' He holds up the scroll from Lu Bu who snatches it from his grasp and reads it. At the end of it he smirks for the first time since he got back.

'Ha finally.' He throws away the scroll and stands up.

'Everyone prepare for war we march as soon as we are able!' He orders as he retreats from the grand hall. The rest of the officers hurry to prepare the troops for war.

'Well that was unexpected. Well that just shows you that sometimes unexpected things can happen.' Pang Tong laughs as LingQi looks at Mitsuko who wears something of a grin on her face. She's glad she isn't seeing the sadness for now at least...she does wonder why it's there in the first place. Though when Pang Tong finishes his sentence Mitsuko's grin turns into an annoyed frown.

'Yeah yeah I get it "be at least a little prepared" you made your damn point.' Mitsuko responded before turning to LingQi.

'Well looks like we'll get to see some real action for a change and with Cao Cao no less. You ready to go.' Mitsuko asked. LingQi smirks confidently in response.

'Of course I can't wait to put an end to him myself.' They both walk away leaving Pang tong alone with his thoughts. For a moment he did look deep in thought before returning back to his normal jolly state and joining the two ladies.